A July 4 skydiving celebration in California took a terrifying turn when a parachutist carrying a massive American flag crashed near a packed crowd after the flag became tangled in a tree.
Dramatic video captured Ross Vail descending toward the Folsom Pro Rodeo as part of America’s 250th birthday festivities when the oversized flag attached to his parachute suddenly snagged on tree branches.
The impact violently pulled Vail off course, sending him hurtling into a tent and crashing to the ground just feet from the grandstands.
Spectators could be heard gasping as the skydiver narrowly avoided slamming into the crowd.
Despite the frightening fall, Vail miraculously escaped serious injury.
“Yesterday’s landing was certainly not the landing he intended, but thankfully, the skydiver is doing well,” a spokesperson for Choose Folsom, which organizes the annual event, told The Sacramento Bee.
Vail suffered only a cut lip and was reportedly well enough to return to the skies and continue parachuting the following day.
No spectators or other participants were injured in the crash.
Discover more from Next Gen News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.