Instructor Pulled Rip Cord, Possibly Saving His Life

A dramatic video on YouTube has nearly 4 million views, and given the content, it's easy to understand why.

The video shows skydiver Christopher Jones prepping for a jump over Australia, and then suffering a seizure shortly after exiting the airplane. The text with the video says Jones passed out as he fell through 9,000 feet, and he tumbles through the air until his instructor, Sheldon McFarlane, catches up to him in freefall and pulls his rip cord. Jones said he regained consciousness at about 3,000 feet, and landed safely. "Possibly the scariest moment of my life," he says on the YouTube page.

The incident occurred on November 14, according to the page.

USA Today relays a report from ABC Australia that indicates Jones had previously been diagnosed with epilepsy, but he had been seizure-free for four years and had been cleared by his doctors to skydive. However, the CEO of the Epilepsy Association of Western Australia said that it's probably not the best activity for someone with the disease.

McFarlane said that, while the video is dramatic, even if he had not been able to reach Jones, there was a safety device in his rig that would have deployed the chute at a pre-determined altitude.

(Image captured from YouTube video)

FMI: Video