Free jumper who plummeted 112 ft into a flooded quarry shatters his knees in the process
A man, who was captured taking an ambitious plunge off a 112 ft cliff into the flooded quarry below, ended up shattering his knee after the jump, according to reports. The clip of the 'daredevil' free fall was taken at a quarry in Vermont, New England and shows 22-year-old Ryan Szymanski jumping off the cliff as people around him witnessing the incident cheered and clapped for the free jumper.
Reports state that Szymanski, after the terrifying jump, ended up in a hospital as doctors informed him that he had torn every ligament and tendon in his knee.
Szymanski, however, has not been deterred by the experience and calls it "pretty surreal," according to the Daily Mail. Reports state that the 22-year-old is recovering from his injuries now.
The young man said that he did not realize that he had shattered his knee after the jump and thought he just had a cramp as he smiled at the safety divers present there.
The free jumper said: "I used to do free-running and gymnastics but continuously injured my shoulders so I transitioned into cliff jumping and diving. The only other injuries I've sustained while cliff jumping only resulted in severe bruising. I gave the safety divers two thumbs up with a big smile on my face and swam to shore on my own, thinking that I probably had a stinger or a cramp."
"It wasn't until I tried to put my weight on the injured leg that I realized something was horribly wrong. I was obviously bummed to injure myself so severely - and on the first jump of the entire 11-day trip - but knew from the beginning that I had no one to blame but myself," the Daily Mail quoted Szymanski as saying.
He also added that he had people around him who assisted him in his recovery and that after the incident other athletes present at the venue continued with their jumps, unfazed by Szymanski's injury.
"I've also felt incredibly fortunate from the beginning to have the resources and friends available that have made recovery possible. Everyone immediately sprung into action to help stabilize my leg and get me to the ER, but jumping-wise, they were unfazed.
"Someone actually front-flipped it immediately after me, and several athletes attempted jumps that were considerably more difficult than my own that same day," Szymanski added.