Man survives 1km fall as parachute fails

JOHANNESBURG - A South African sky-diver plummeted 1000 metres when his parachute failed to open on his first high-altitude jump - but walked away unscathed, the SAPA news agency said yesterday.

"Because it was my first jump, I thought I just had a bad landing," said 35-year-old Benno Jacobs, who landed in a ploughed field near the city of Bloemfontein after his jump on Friday.

SAPA said Jacobs was uninjured but was treated for minor ailments including bruises and a swollen lip.

- REUTERS