Crowds watch Military
Tattoo as parachutist is injured

A parachutist is in hospital with a broken foot, broken
pelvis and broken elbow after suffering a hard fall at the Dover
Military Tattoo.

Members of the Tigers Freefall Team were taking part in the
opening of the event, organised to celebrate the Queen's diamond
jubilee last night.

Thousands of spectators saw the male parachutist fall
onto the parade ground at the former Connaught Barracks after
jumping from a plane above the venue.

A member of the Tigers
Freefall Team suffers a bumpy landing. Picture: Paul Amos

Several of the parachutists appeared to make fairly hard
landings, but while the rest of his colleagues got to their feet,
he laid on the ground motionless.

St John Ambulance volunteers immediately went to his aid, but it
was some time before they were able to stabilise him and lift him
onto a stretcher.

He was taken to the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, and
was later transferred to King's College Hospital in London.

The Band of The Princess
of Wales Royal Regiment performs at the Dover Military Tattoo.
Picture: Paul Amos

The rest of the programme went without a hitch, except for one
member of the White Helmets motorcycle display team from the Royal
Corps of Signals who collided with a security fence and fell off.
He quickly clambered back onto his machine.

The event included massed bands of the East and West Kent Sea
Cadets, the Band of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, the
Tonbridge School Combined Cadet Force, the Band of the Adjutant
General's Corps featuring Gary Chilton from The Soldiers, and the
Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas and the Pipes and Drums of the 1st
Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles.

The 3rd Battalion of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment gave
an infantry demonstration.