This is the terrifying moment an Australian skydiver has an epileptic fit during freefall, leaving him in an uncontrolled plunge until a dramatic mid-dive rescue by his instructor.
22-year-old Christopher Jones from Perth suffered the seizure at 9,000ft soon after he jumped from the aircraft and before opening his parachute.
In the video captured by the camera on the helmet of skydiving instructor Sheldon McFarlane, as Jones hurtles towards the Earth he visibly goes in to the throws of the epileptic fit. McFarlane twice attempts to grab Jones and pull his ripcord, thankfully succeeding at about 4,000ft.
Jones reportedly re-gained consciousnesses at 3,000ft and made a safe landing. He described the incident as: “possibly the scariest moment of my life.”
The video was taken during a training dive in November last year over Pinjarra in Western Australia.
WA Skydiving Academy business manager and chief instructor Robin O’Neill told the ABC that the company asks about epilepsy and other conditions on it’s questionnaire to prospective trainee skydivers.
“(Christopher’s) treating specialist wrote a letter specifically saying he was fit for skydiving,” Mr O’Neill said.
“Obviously he wasn’t.
“That was the end of his skydiving career.”