What began as a celebratory kick-off to a rugby game in France, turned into a life-saving rescue mission by firefighters. A parachutist at France’s Stadium de Toulouse was soaring down onto the field during the pre-game festivities when the parachute became caught on the stadium roof, leaving the man dangling from the rafters.
According to OutKick, “he dangled 50 feet above the ground for 40 minutes until local fire department personnel came to his rescue.”
Videos shared online by fans show the man hanging above their heads in the stands. One moment he is gliding down to the field, then he swings too close to the roof and becomes stuck there. Fans also shared videos of the rescue by firefighters as they raised an extendable ladder through the stands to the roof and retrieved the parachutist.
European professional club rugby chairman Dominic McKay said in a statement on social media "Following the incident at le Stadium de Toulouse, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all involved at the stadium, both clubs and the emergency services for safely returning the parachutist to the ground.”
The parachutist was a French soldier, and he did not sustain any injuries from the accident.
