This was the scary moment when a UK skydiver momentarily free-fell at 4,000 feet after a parachute malfunction forced him to cut loose and deploy the backup chute.<br /><br />Footage filmed by Mark Watson on September 20 shows his perilous descent when his initial chute fails to properly open, sending him falling to the ground.<br /><br />Without panic, Watson releases himself from the twisted ropes and momentarily free falls at 4,000 feet but is able to deploy the backup parachute comfortably.<br /><br />Watson explained in detail what happened: "This was a normal skydive from a plane at the end of the day, at a drop zone in the UK. <br /><br />"We jumped from 14,000ft. <br /><br />"I split from the main group (other skydivers) at around 6,000ft and deployed my 'main' (the orange/black) parachute at 4,000ft. <br /><br />"By the time it was above my head it would have been around 3,000ft. <br /><br />"The lines between myself and the parachute then twisted to the point it was uncontrollable and started to 'dive'. <br /><br />"This in effect means that the parachute and myself are facing the ground (parallel with the ground) instead of the parachute being above my head. <br /><br />"When the parachute spins like this you begin to lose altitude very quickly. <br /><br />"Once I knew the situation was unrecoverable, that is when you see me deploy my reserve parachute by pulling something on my chest called a 'cutaway handle'. <br /><br />"This releases the main parachute automatically and deploys the reserve. <br /><br />"I then landed without event. <br /><br />"The main parachutes are worth a lot of money but luckily a local lad saw it land behind his house and brought it back to the DZ after. <br /><br />"The video was shot on the last 'lift' of the day on Sunday 20th September in Nottingham, England. <br /><br />"The last lift of the day is always called 'the sunset load'."
