© Nick Obank/ Barcroft Media
A British daredevil BASE jumper who survived a near fatal skydiving accident has returned to the skies just 12 months after his horrific injury.
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Standing 4,000 feet above the ground at the top of Mount Trento in northern Italy, James Boole completed an incredible come back as he soared for one mile over the open plains.
Reaching speeds of up to 100 mph the Staffordshire-born skydiver hurtled through the clear skies before opening his parachute 500 feet above the ground.
“There was a good mixture between nervousness and excitement,” said the 32-year-old.
“That said I still had some Elvis knee knocking going on as I stood on the cliff edge.
© Nick Obank/ Barcroft Media
“But as I came into land my parachute I felt ecstatic, it was great.”
James has made a miraculous recovery after his parachute failed to open during a wingsiut flight in Kamchatka, Russia on Good Friday last April.
The professional sky diver, camera man and extreme sports nut fell 6,000 feet crashing into the snowy mountains at 100 mph.
Breaking his back, cracking a rib, chipping several teeth and bruised a lung he amazingly lived to tell the tale.
Forced to wear a body brace for three months, the father of one never thought he would be able to jump again.
“Immediately after the accident, I really thought that I might never be able to jump again whether it be that I physically wouldn’t be able or that i might lose interest or too scared to do it,” he said.
“Once the brace came off I started with physio therapy and going to the gym
“As I got all of my fitness back and I was as strong as I was before the accident, I made the decision that I definitely wanted to jump again.”
© Nick Obank/ Barcroft Media
Adopting a stringent training regime physiotherapy and in the gym. cardio vascular fitness, running, skating, swimming, and then weights in the gym, James defied the odds to regain full fitness and return to the sport he loves.
“When I told my family and friends that I wanted to jump again there was mixed reaction,” he said.
“Obviously my family were very concerned that I would want to do something like this again after such a serious accident.
“At the same time they know me and they understand what a big part parachuting plays in my life.
So they were concerned but accepted that it is my decision.”
© Nick Obank/ Barcroft Media
Spending 12 months mentally and physically preparing for the jump, James admitted he was a little nervous as he stood on the precipice.
“The thing I remember most as I stood at the top of the mountain was don’t make any mistakes,” he said.
“I focussed on doing things safely and I did a relatively straight forward jump and didn’t exaggerate in anyway.
“As I got closer to the exit point we were hiking up the fear and the anxiety – there was a good mixture between nervousness and excitement to jump again.
“As I got closer to the jump point the fear went away and I became more and more excited to jump again. That said I still had some Elvis knee knocking going on as I stood on the cliff edge.
“Once my feet left the rock and I pushed away at first you have no speed at all because you are pushing off a solid object.
“As gravity pulls you downwards there is no sound and force on your body at all.
© Nick Obank/ Barcroft Media
“After a few seconds you start to speed up and you start to hear the wind and the noise picks up.
“The suit inflates and then the force of the air hits your body. When that happened I realised I was back home.”
Touching down for the first time in over a year, James was filled with emotion.
“I landed feeling awesome,” he said.
“My friends were waiting for me and my wife and my daughter. I was full of energy and joy and i remembered how much I enjoy this.
“I couldn’t wait to go back up and do another one.”
© Nick Obank/ Barcroft Media
For James, who lives in Trento with his wife Kristina 24 and baby Melissa, 15 months, his return to action has helped draw a line under the last 12 months but he is ready to stop taking so many risks.
“Before making this jump I hadn’t made any plans about what I would do jumping wise in the future,” he said.
“I wanted to do this one jump to really come full circle, to be where I was a year ago to get back on the horse so to speak.
“Now I would like to carry on jumping maybe a little bit less, doing things a little bit less risky than before but its still a major part of my life.”
Words by Jack Fletcher
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