Father amazed by son's fall recovery

Tom Stilwell did not remember anything from the incident.

Tom Stilwell has neck and back fractures and a broken wrist but is expected to make a full recovery.

The father of the British man who stunned the world by surviving a 15-floor fall from an Auckland high rise says the fact his son is still alive is nothing short of a miracle.

Tom Stilwell, 20, is recovering in Auckland City Hospital but is out of intensive care and will make a full recovery, to the amazement and relief of his family in Britain.

"Miracle is an over-used term, but it really was. It is very difficult to understand how he survived. We are all just very, very grateful," David Stilwell told London's Evening Standard.

"In the circumstances he is incredibly good. He has had an incredible, fortunate escape having fallen an enormous distance."

He'd spoken to his son from his hospital bed at Auckland City Hospital and was relieved at the good spirits he was in. "He has lots of injuries, many broken bones, but they are not life-threatening. It's just incredible."

Mr Stilwell's neighbour Geraldine Bautista told the Herald she hadn't been able to sleep since she witnessed him falling. He'd woken her up early on Sunday morning by knocking on her window asking if he could use her balcony to lower himself on to his own, directly underneath.

She has been feeling guilty she didn't do more to stop him.

"I cannot sleep. Last Sunday evening his flatmate said 'don't worry he can talk and laugh ...' It's a relief because I've been praying he would have a full recovery. I couldn't forgive myself if something worse had happened."

She worried she hadn't done her best to try to stop him from attempting to get into the apartment - and from not being able to hold him as he fell.

"He slipped from my arms ... He is slim but was quite heavy."

She said Mr Stilwell didn't scream as he fell. "He just seemed so relaxed as he fell. He didn't say anything. I thought he had done it all the time because he looked like such an expert at it - he wasn't hesitant to jump over."