Paratrooper whose parachute failed to open survives after crashing into house | British army

A British paratrooper whose parachute failed to open properly suffered only “minor injuries” after a 15,000-foot fall that sent him through the roof of a California home and plunged into the kitchen in a burst of insulation and roofing material.

The soldier, who was not immediately identified by name, jumped from a plane during a High Altitude Low Opening (Halo) exercise, a technique used by special forces. He lost control as he approached the ground near Camp Roberts, in Atascadero.

According to a local TV station KSBY, the accident happened on July 6 around 5 pm.

Several neighbors saw the paratrooper flying through the air in a spiral. Photos of the scene showed a hole in the house’s tile roof and a soldier, dressed in SAS uniform, in the kitchen surrounded by rubble.

Neighbors rushed to the house.

“I ran in to make sure he was okay and I checked him and his eyes were open but I wasn’t sure if there were any injuries. I didn’t want anyone to move it,” Rose Martin told KSBY.

“I think it’s really a miracle. I mean, who lands like that without a parachute and lives?”

Linda Sallady, the homeowner’s mother, said: “Came through the roof, through the locks and there is not that much damage in the house. It is awesome. It’s usually the ceiling, the drywall. He missed the counters, appliances, everything.”

Atascadero police said the paratrooper was “conscious but stunned with complaints of pain, but no visible serious injuries”.

He was taken to hospital for treatment.

The British Ministry of Defense said in a… statement: “There has been a parachute jump where a British soldier trained with American allies in California. The soldier suffered minor injuries and is recovering well.”