Saturday, December 15, 2012

Skydiving Santa injured in crash landing at the Mango Hill Christmas Tree event

 
A skydiving Santa at the Mango Hill Christmas Tree event was injured when he overshot his landing point and crash-landed.
 Picture: Tabatha Waterhouse 
Source: Supplied


Revelers at a community Christmas party north of Brisbane looked on in shock as a skydiving Santa crash-landed in a park.

Crowds were kept back as paramedics treated the Santa – known as Marty – for lower leg injuries at the Mango Hill Christmas Tree event.

A Department of Community Safety spokesman said the 60-year-old was then taken to Redcliffe Hospital following the festive mishap.

A flyer spruiking the family event billed Santa’s arrival as a main attraction, saying he would drop in – “from a great height” – at 5.15pm.

But the plan went awry when the man parachuted from his light aircraft and overshot the mark by approximately 20 metres.

Local Mark Waterhouse said it took about 30 or 40 seconds for the crowd gathered to realize what had happened.

“Everyone was in a state of shock, even when (Santa) landed he tried to get back up but just collapsed,” he said.

“He was seriously injured and two ambulances attended the scene.”

“(Organizers) are trying to put the show on as normal and directing crowd away from him by playing music.”

 It is believed this is the first time the Mango Hill Progress Association had a Santa parachute from a light aircraft.


Story and photos:    http://www.theaustralian.com.au

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