A video of a skydiver surviving a 14,000-feet fall after her parachute failed to open is going viral on social media. The incident took place in Switzerland in 2013 when Emma Carey was on vacation. Initially hesitant about skydiving, Carey was drawn to the thrill and excitement of the extreme sport. However, her thrilling experience quickly turned into a nightmare when there were complications with her parachute.
In the video, Carey is heard saying, “I was like surely I’ve died, like surely this is it. And then the next feeling that I had was just the most intense pain.” The clip has garnered more than 1.5 million views.
Carey recalls the moment when she realized something was wrong. “When we jumped out of a helicopter, I was loving it. And so I felt my instructor’s tap on my shoulder who asked me to cross my arms. That’s when they were meant to pull the parachute. But it didn’t happen. I was like ‘Okay. Well, I’m sure he’s doing everything he can.’ But then the moment I really realized was when I saw a scrunched up parachute in front of us,” she said during a podcast.
She thought that was the end for her. However, miraculously, she remained conscious throughout the fall and hit the ground without losing consciousness. Carey remembers thinking about her friend and family and feeling regret for not fully embracing her life up until that point.
After the fall, Carey found herself facedown on the ground with her instructor on top of her. She tried to roll the instructor off and realized she was completely paralyzed from the waist down. Her friend, who had landed safely, saw her screaming with blood all over her face.
Carey was rushed to the hospital, where doctors discovered she had broken her spine in two places. She underwent surgery on her back and pelvis. After recovering, she flew back to Australia to be with her family and entered rehabilitation. Miraculously, she began to regain feeling in her legs and eventually started walking, albeit with a limp.
Despite still not having feeling below her belly button and lacking control of her bladder or bowel, Carey is grateful to be alive and share her incredible story. She has written a book titled “The Girl Who Fell From The Sky” to recount her frightening experience.
