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Man Cheats Death After Parachutes Fail

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posted: 2 HOURS 38 MINUTES AGO
comments: 99
filed under: World News
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(Aug. 16) - A British skydiver survived a 2,000-foot drop onto the roof of an aircraft hanger after his parachutes malfunctioned.
The incident happened on Friday over the skies of Shropshire, England, when experienced skydiver and cameraman Paul Lewis was up in the air filming a woman making her first jump, according to a Times Online report.
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At about 3,000 feet, Lewis tried to open his main parachute, but it failed. He then managed to release his reserve, but it only partially opened, causing him to spiral down rapidly.
Lewis ended up plunging a few thousand feet onto the steel roof of an aircraft hanger. The only reason he didn't proceed to roll off onto the ground was because his parachute got snagged on something.
"He is incredibly lucky, he's almost without an injury. If he'd fallen 10 (feet) either way he would have landed on concrete," Colin Fitzmaurice, owner of the Parachute Centre, where Lewis took off from, told the Times.
Get the full story at the Times Online and check out our gallery, below, of other people who have cheated death.
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Survival Stories
Jamie Neale, a British teenager who was rescued in Australia after being missing for 12 days, said he was a "total idiot" to go hiking in the Blue Mountains unprepared. Neale, 19, told Australian TV he left for the hike on July 3 with only two bread rolls and a small bottle of water.
Mark Kolbe, Getty Images
Mark Kolbe, Getty Images
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2009-08-16 10:14:34
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stacycampana

05:07 PMAug 16 2009

MUST READ #$% The government is giving cars away practically free. Read WWW.SLICKBUDGET.COM under the clunkers tab to learn how to get upto $12,500 off a new car thanks to the government programs. I did it last week...find out when you get your new car on Uncle Sam. You owe it to yourself.

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(1)

AWS72544

04:55 PMAug 16 2009

TO BANSHEEMARC.....PUCKER UP OR SAY SOMETHNG SO WE CAN TELL WHICH END IS YOUR ASS.

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(1)

GrnBer

04:51 PMAug 16 2009

SndncZeet 04:41 PMAug 16 2009 It just wasn't his time to go. He was unbelievably lucky. No ancient superstition/god/whatever had anything to do with it. Stop trying to make it out to be something it isn't./// So who or what determines one's "time to go?"

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(1)

SndncZeet

04:41 PMAug 16 2009

It just wasn't his time to go. He was unbelievably lucky. No ancient superstition/god/whatever had anything to do with it. Stop trying to make it out to be something it isn't.

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Morganau

04:39 PMAug 16 2009

GrnBer:Amen. I know if that happened to me, I'd be thanking God!

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PLCHom

04:38 PMAug 16 2009

To those who write these articles: It is airport HANGAR with an A not an E as in hanger. The word is used twice and twice it is spelled as in shirt hanger. Plane hangar, airport hangar. It is a French word for a plane shelter. As are fuselage, ailerons, and on and on....;)

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GrnBer

04:36 PMAug 16 2009

During a HALO jump, at 1000 feet my main failed to deploy. I poppped the reserve and and as it was inflating so did my main. I ended up cigarette rolling to about 200 feet when both somehow opened giving me a safe but hard landing. God was with me that day just as God was with Lewis. And for the rest of you a-holes, God was with the women and children in that tragic tent fire.

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(8)

Pdb6654

04:32 PMAug 16 2009

when it's time to go, it's time to go. pretty simple, really. have a great day!

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(4)

TbStables65

04:31 PMAug 16 2009

No, I have never been skydiving. Skydiving, and other similar dangerous acts are for people who are, seeking out death.

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(5)

TbStables65

04:30 PMAug 16 2009

No, I have never been skydiving. Skydiving, and other similar dangerous acts are for people who are, seeking out death.

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Paul Lewis is lucky to be alive. The man was skydiving Friday in Britain when his main parachute failed to open. He managed to release his reserve, but it only partially opened, causing him to spiral down violently. Lewis ended up falling a few thousand feet onto the steel roof of a nearby airport hanger -- and barely got hurt.\n