Skydiver falls 3,500 ft and only breaks ankle

A rookie skydiver has miraculously survived a 3,500ft (1,100m) plunge despite both her parachutes failing to open.

Zoe Sievwright, 29, of Dundee, was completing a solo charity skydive in Perthshire, Scotland, when she came face to face with death.

Plummeting from a plane more than half a mile above Strathallan airfield, the parachutist became panicked when her main parachute failed to open properly.

She managed to reach for the toggles on her reserve parachute, but to her horror it became tangled with the main parachute.

Miss Sievwright revealed how she didn’t think she was going to make it as she hurtled towards Earth.

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Speaking about the ordeal with the Daily Mail, the parachutist said: “I just thought that was it because there was nothing else I could do. I didn't think I was going to make it - I thought I was dead. I braced for impact and I don't really remember what happened after that. There was a bit of a shock but I didn't black out.”

Somehow the only serious damage she sustained a broken ankle, she was taken to hospital by ambulance immediately where doctors performing emergency surgery on it.

In response to the incident, Kieran Brady, chairman of Skydive Strathallan, denied there were any problems with the parachutes.

“The reserve parachute opened successfully, but Zoe did not remove the steering toggles and flare the canopy as she should have done.”

Her stepmother has said she is recovering well, but has been ‘traumatised’ by the incident.