VIDEO: Miracle survival for Staffordshire base jumper as parachute fails
This is the moment a thrill-seeker from Staffordshire realised he was facing death as his parachute failed to open while hurtling through the air after base jumping from a 1,000ft cliff.
But despite the odds being stacked against him surviving Matthew Gough miraculously escaped with just cuts and bruises.
The 25 year-old base jumper from Chorley, near Burntwood, captured the terrifying experience of his latest daredevil stunt at Lake Garda in Italy using a head camera.
Matthew had previously completed 180 successful base jumps, as well as 700 sky dives, but this time the parachute failed to open properly and became twisted.
Despite crashing onto the rocks before landing in the sand he managed to escape with minor injuries to his ankles and knees as well as a bloodied nose. The footage shows him careering towards the ground and then landing, dazed, in a heap before getting assistance. He was then taken away in an ambulance for treatment at hospital.
Matthew took the plunge on April 23 as he travelled the world taking part in extreme sports.
He used to work in sales and marketing but saved up enough money to travel and indulge his adrenaline-pumping hobbies. He has since flown back to Britain.
Matthew, who took up base jumping after completing hundreds of sky dives, has recalled the horrifying moment he thought he was going to die.
He said: "I feel massively lucky to survive, I have never heard of this sort of thing happening before and especially no one surviving from it."
Survival - See today's Express & Star
