A base-jumper had a brush with death after his parachute failed to open properly when he jumped off cliffs in Dover.

Chad Smith, from Maidstone, revealed his horrified friends watched on as he hurtle 180ft to the floor covered in rocks after throwing the parachute in the wrong direction.

It happened on Friday, December 28, at about noon when he broke four vertebrae and his pelvis.

The 27-year-old was airlifted by coastguard helicopter to the top of the cliff at St Margaret’s Bay, where he was transferred to an air ambulance and flown to Kings College Hospital in London.

In an interview with the Sun, he said: “I was so concerned about getting a good push off I messed up the pilot chute and threw it down instead of up.

"As soon as I jumped I knew it had gone wrong. I thought I was going to die.

“It was three seconds between jumping and hitting the rocks. The ground was coming towards me when it shouldn’t.

“My parachute finally opened just before I hit the ground.

"If it hadn’t then I would have died. If the drop had been a couple of feet less I would be dead. I was milliseconds from death.

“I was losing consciousness and couldn’t feel my arm. I remember it was hard to breath."

He is now preparing to compete at an international level in skydiving this year.

"I don’t regret what happened. I could have done it better. I’m not going to rush into it but I think I'd have another go at it," he added.

BASE jumping, which stands for building, antenna, span, and earth, is the act of throwing yourself off fixed objects.

It is thought to be one of the most dangerous forms of sport.

He said: “I’m lucky to have these injuries as it could have been fatal or I might never have been able to walk again.

"They think I will make a full recovery.

"Hopefully, I will get back skydiving soon. It’s a lot safer.”