Pro skydiver shatters back and both legs and suffers horrific internal injuries in 75mph smash in the Alps… and he’s expected to make a full recovery
Miles Cottman, 27, was 'speed flying' close to mountainside when he hit a tree and his parachute canopy collapsed in Les Deux Alpes, France
A SKYDIVER miraculously survived after a 75mph smash into a French mountainside - and amazingly is expected to walk again despite shattering his back and both legs and suffering serious internal injuries.
Thrillseeker Miles Cottman, 27, was "speed flying" in the Alps when he hit a tree and his parachute canopy collapsed, sending him hurtling to the ground.
The risky extreme sport of speed flying, a combination of paragliding and snow skiing, involves high-speed flights close to the slope.
Doctors said crashes of the kind Miles suffered are usually fatal. Footage from his GoPro camera suggest he was travelling at 120km per hour.
Professional skydiver Miles, who has dual Australian and British nationality, was airlifted to hospital in Grenoble after the horror crash at Les Deux Alpes in France.
He had emergency surgery to stem bleeding in his bowel and has since had three more operations to insert bolts in his broken back, a steel rod inside his right femur, and surgery on his broken left patella and fibula.
He also suffered injuries to his kidney, spleen, coccyx, left ankle and right heel bone.
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Miles spent more than a week connected to breathing tubes but today was able to eat his first meal ten days after the crash, with his mum Sarah by his side.
Doctors at first said the prognosis was poor - but now say he should recover fully in time.
His sister Emily : "When Mum arrived they were saying he might not be able to walk again.
";That was pretty hard to take. He was under sedation, had a breathing machine.
"From what we thought was going to happen last week to now, with Miles expected to make a full recovery, is pretty amazing."
She added: "We really feel like we've had miracles that he's going to walk and not have brain damage.
"We really genuinely feel incredibly lucky - most people don't live through accidents like this."
Miles, who was due to represent Australia at a freestyle parachuting contest in Denmark next month, did not have travel insurance for his trip.
His sister admits this was a "massive, life-changing mistake" as the family now faces enormous medical bills of at least £60,000.
But friends and well-wishers have already donated almost £40,000 through her .
Choking back tears, Emily said: "It's really hard for me to talk about.
"Mum works for herself, so there's no income for her while she cares for him.
"Obviously, she won't come back until he does. It's put quite a bit of stress on my family. It's so incredible the amount of support that's been given so quickly."
Last week we told how Melbourne thrillseeker Brad Guy survived a fall from 14,000ft after his chute ripped and he spiralled to the ground.
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