A British skydiver had a lucky escape when he became entangled in his parachute while skydiving from a plane at 12,000 feet.

Michael Holmes, from Jersey, was videoing a group of other skydivers on the freefall over New Zealand when his parachute failed to deploy properly. As he descended he spiralled out of control and eventually landed in a blackberry bush where he was found unconscious.

Parachuter miraculously survives 12,000ft fall with failed parachute.

A British skydiver had a lucky escape when he became entangled in his parachute while skydiving from a plane at 12,000 feet.

Michael Holmes, from Jersey, was videoing a group of other skydivers on the freefall over New Zealand when his parachute failed to deploy properly.

As he descended he spiralled out of control and eventually landed in a blackberry bush where he was found unconscious.

Mr Holmes, who is in his 20s, landed at Five Mile Bay, just a few hundred yards from Lake Taupo, the largest lake in New Zealand.

Emergency services were called by horrified onlookers who watched Mr Holmes crash into rough scrubland in a nature reserve, less than 100 yards from a car park.

He was airlifted to hospital where he was found to have escaped serious injury, suffering a broken ankle and a lung injury.

John Siddles and his 18-year-old son Adam Kendall were at a nearby lookout watching the parachutists and couldn't believe their eyes when they saw one in trouble.

"One of the skydivers coming down was going round and round and he looked like he was all tangled up or something,"Mr Siddles said.

"It looked like his chute had partially opened, but it's hard to say."

Hamish Funnell, the manager of the Great Lake Skydiving Centre, which employs Mr Holmes as an instructor, said Mr Holmes was recovering in hospital after the accident.

Mr Funnell said he had visited him in hospital and said that he found him "cracking jokes and hassling the nurses". The New Zealand Parachute Industry Association has launched a preliminary investigation into the accident and the Civil Aviation Authority has indicated it will be taking a look at the parachute industry association's report after the inquiry.

Mr Holmes has worked for the company, which is based in the tourist resort town of Taupo, since he arrived in New Zealand three years ago.

Taupo, set in the North Island's picturesque volcanic zone, is popular with tourists wanting to try extreme sports and several skydiving companies operate from the airport.

In January 2003, a 25-year-old Welsh tourist was taken to hospital with serious leg and arm injuries after a skydiving accident there.

After the incident, Mr Siddles, who had been watching the parachutists with his son, Adam, said: "We decided it's not for us".

Story from This is London.

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12000ft is one looooong drop and it's a miracle that he survived, even if it's not unheard of that people survive drops like this. I guess he'll start to sing praise to blackberry bushes.

Was reading this story and could not help but wonder how come it's the best skydivers that end up in trouble. Read elsewhere that this guy came in 10th in the Skydiving World Championship and has over 7000 jumps under his belt.

And that made me remember various stories vuzman told about world champion skydivers in Sweden...anyhow one incredibly lucky guy!