Miraculous escape for base jumper in mountain plunge

A base jumper has miraculously escaped serious injury after being blown into a rock face in remote Wester Ross.

Sam Percival had jumped from a pinnacle almost 3,500 feet up on the An Teallach ridge.

His parachute was caught by a gust of wind and he was turned around and blown against a face of the pinnacle.

The 35-year-old outdoor instructor from Lancashire, who lives in Aviemore, rolled over rocky ground before sliding over a ledge.

A pile of rocks stopped his fall and he climbed back to the ridge, suffering only bruising and sprains.

Dramatic video footage of the jump showed Mr Percival colliding with the mountainside, causing his parachute to partially deflate.

He was among a group of experienced base jumpers at the pinnacle, known as Lord Berkeley’s Seat.

Mr Percival said he was attempting to become the first person to jump off the pinnacle on An Teallach.

He admitted the winds were “a bit too high” but decided to go ahead with the jump.

“It felt like being in a washing machine filled with boulders,” he said.

“I struck the cliff at about 30mph. I tried to get hold of a ledge but I kept accelerating towards the floor of the gully.

“Next I hit the bottom of the gully, 180ft from where I struck the cliff. I was underneath a pile of boulders that had come down with me.

“My clothes were in shreds. At first I thought that adrenaline must be masking something, but I managed to get to my feet and basically all I have is a sprained ankle and wrist.”