Parachutist, 31, was lucky to be alive after parachute failure sent him plummeting to the ground at 70 mph

A Middlesbrough man is lucky to be alive after a parachute suffered a catastrophic malfunction during a skydive, sending him plummeting back to Earth at 70mph.

The 31-year-old suffered eight broken bones and a fractured spine, leaving him permanently paralyzed and dependent on a wheelchair to get around.

Kirk Trainor from Middlesbrough has made almost 700 successful jumps, but on the fateful day in May the mechanism that slows the parachute’s descent failed.

Although the parachute slowed his fall somewhat, the fall was still fast enough to kill him.

Now, Mr. Trainor’s friends have launched a fundraiser to raise money for experimental private treatments that could help him walk again.

The 31-year-old remains in hospital, two months after losing control of his parachute during the terrifying fall on May 11

Several appeals have been made online, including a GoFundMe page which has raised almost £14,000 in just five days.

Another organisation received over £1,340 in donations out of a target of £6,000.

Mr. Trainor related the horrific experience: ‘As I was about to land, my hand slipped off the handle, which broke the parachute. I didn’t have time to hit the ground.

‘I landed feet first and all the force of the impact went to my lower back just above the lumbar spine. My legs just stopped working and I knew it was serious.

“It’s like having a motorcycle accident, but I’m lucky to be alive. It could have been worse: people have died in similar accidents.”

He added: ‘My most serious injury is the spinal cord damage, which has left me paralysed in my lower limbs and unable to move from my navel down.’

He didn’t have enough time to fix the switch before hitting the ground at an estimated speed of 70 mph (112 km/h).

To help fund his wheelchair and hopefully develop a breakthrough stem cell treatment, friends Mike Needham and Scott Middleton have started fundraisers

Mr. Trainor got into trouble during the jump when he lost control of a toggle switch connected to a line that was supposed to break or slow down the parachute

To help cover the financial costs, his friends Mr Needham and Mr Middleton have set up online appeals, one of which has raised more than £19,600. Another has had more than £1,340 in donations of its £6,000 target

After undergoing surgery to stabilize his spine, he remains in hospital recovering, where he has been for two months now.

While NHS doctors can offer Mr Trainor few treatments, private clinics are offering experimental therapies such as stem cell transplants.

Stem cells, cells that can change shape, can develop into many different cell types and could be used to regrow nerve fibres in the damaged spinal cord, according to the UK Stem Cell Foundation.

The cells are taken from the patient’s own body, purified and then replaced in a place where the cells have died.

Mr Trainor’s GoFundMe page reads: ‘While Kirk continues his treatment over the coming months, I (friend) would like to help him remain independent by raising money for a lightweight wheelchair, which will cost around £6,000.

‘This will benefit his daily mobility and enable him to return to work.

‘If we raise more money than we need for the wheelchair, the extra money will go towards Kirk’s stem cell treatment research, which amounts to approximately £100,000.

‘Every contribution, regardless of size, will have a significant impact on and alleviate the difficulties Kirk faces during this challenging time.

“As a friend of Kirk, I am calling on my family, friends, colleagues and community to help raise the funds necessary for his recovery. This will undoubtedly take time.”