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Journalism of Courage
An adventurous experience turned into a nightmare for a skydiver after he was left dangling thousands of meters in the air after their parachute got trapped on the aircraft’s tail. According to a report in a local ABC News outlet, the incident occurred south of Cairns in Australia in September, and the skydiver survived the accident.
The planned 16-way parachute formation at 4,600 metres descended into chaos within seconds of the first skydiver moving toward the aircraft door, the report stated. The now-viral video released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau captures the moment the skydiver’s reserve parachute suddenly deployed after its handle got caught on the plane’s wing flap.
The sudden jolt pulled the skydiver backwards, their legs slamming into the aircraft as the reserve parachute became entangled around the tail. In the process, the parachutist also collided with the camera operator, accidentally sending them into freefall, the report added.
The video also captures the stunned skydiver holding their hands to their helmet for several seconds. Acting quickly, they used a hook knife to cut away the tangled lines and free themself, the report stated. They then deployed their main parachute and made a safe landing.
The aircraft’s tail sustained “substantial damage” during the incident, leaving the pilot with limited control. After issuing a mayday call, the pilot managed to bring the plane down safely, the report added.
Watch here:
The video prompted a range of reactions, with a user saying, “He’s lucky the parachute got caught on the wing the way it did. The physical impact to that wing could have decapitated him,” a user wrote. “Instead of jumping or diving, why did he walk on the foot rest as if he was trying to hide from his wife walking on the parapet wall outside his house window?” another user commented.
“Guy in the green was like, he’s fine, I’ll just continue with my jump,” a third user reacted.Wow that’s crazy
