ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Woman Survives Plunging 1.5 Kilometres In Skydive After Both Parachutes Failed To Open

Woman Survives Plunging 1.5 Kilometres In Skydive After Both Parachutes Failed To Open

She's suffered several fractured bones and broken vertebrae. ​

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

A woman is recovering in hospital after a horror sky diving accident saw both her main and back up parachutes not work.

The incident happened in Quebec, Canada, and the 30-year-old is unbelievably lucky to be alive.

What started as a routine dive in Trois-Rivières quickly descended into terror as she pulled the back up chute when the main one didn't work.

Then it got really messy when that one didn't work and the woman was forced to free fall until they hit the ground in a wooded area.

Syromaniac/Creative Commons

She fell for more than 1.5 kilometres from start to finish. That's a long time being in the air, thinking you're as good as toast. 7News reports she has suffered fractured bones and broken vertebrae.

Denis Demer saw the whole thing unfold from the ground and has told Radio Canada: "It's a miracle. I don't know how a person can survive a fall from an airplane like that."

While it would have been terrifying to watch from the ground from Denis' position, there was someone who couldn't believe their eyes.

Océane Duplessis was literally about to board a plane for her own skydive when she saw the woman falling through the air.

"We watched all the way to the end. We kept hoping something would happen," she said. "We were very worried. Very."

via GIPHY

But if you've got a dive teed up this weekend, fear not, accidents like this are extremely rare. Last year, there were 13 fatal skydiving accidents in America, which sounds like a lot, but it's a drop in the ocean when you consider there were more than 3.3 million jumps.

In addition to that, there was 2,147 skydiving injuries that required a medical care facility. Now, that could have come from a perfectly successful skydive through the air but a really rough landing.

The United States Parachute Association says: "These safety records stand as a testament to decades of strict safety standards, training policies and programs, including a USPA Safety Day taking place every March, as well as improvements in skydiving equipment over the years.

"Skydiving involves inherent risks, but most skydiving accidents result from human error. With proper preparation and good judgment, skydivers can minimize those risks. Thanks to safer equipment, better training and the staffs at more than 220 USPA-affiliated skydiving centers across the country, skydiving continues to become safer."

So if you're planning on jumping, make sure that back up chute is packed right.

Featured Image Credit: Syromaniac/Creative Commons

Topics: News