Daring skydiver hauled to safety after crash-landing in a 60ft tree on first ever jump
23rd May 2008[/align]
A skydiver on her first ever dive was forced into a perilous crash-landing after a gust of wind sent her hurtling into a tree. Natalie Gabriel, 27, had to be rescued by fire crews after her leap from a plane at 3,500ft went horribly wrong.
The Liverpool University student's dream jump fast became a nightmare when she mistook the direction of the gusting wind and became wedged between branches 60ft off the ground. Police, fire crews and paramedics rushed to the scene as Natalie dangled dangerously in the upper boughs. She found herself sitting on the branches, but began slipping down the tree as they gave way. Ms Gabriel, from Ormskirk, spent 90 minutes in the tree before an aerial ladder was put up and she was helped to safety.
She said: "As I came down, I couldn't see the spot where I was supposed to land, everything looked like a dot. As I got closer, it came into view, but I incorrectly thought I had turned into the wind. As soon as I did that, I was going faster and veering towards some caravans. I could hear my instructors on the radio shouting at me to turn left. I suddenly came into the path of trees and crashed. It was quite scary as I'm scared of heights. I got some cuts and bruises and I was thinking I might fall out the tree, specially when the branches began to snap.
The dive at Cark Airfield, Flookburgh, in the Lake District, was the first time the daring student had attempted a parachute jump. But despite her experience, she said she would do it all again. "When I got my feet on firm ground I had a good laugh about it. Then I went back up in the plane and did another jump, this time with a better landing. We're talking of going back down to Cumbria again this weekend, I've got the taste for it now, it gives you such a buzz," she added.
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I'd cut my losses if it was the first time I'd done it and walk away to find a less dangerous hobby, like tiger-baiting or something...
