A DARE DEVIL vicar and former para who has jumped from helicopters and hot air balloons, has recalled his own parachuting near-miss, following an incident at a Red Devils display.

The Canon Alan Hughes MBE, chaplain for the Northumbria Army Cadet Force and for Northumbria University's Officer’s Training Corps, plummeted to earth almost exactly 30 years ago when a parachute jump took a terrifying turn.

It was a turn of events which had some similarities to the incident at Whitehaven Airshow this weekend – when a Red Devil's parachute collapsed in mid-air, promoting a dramatic rescue as he was steered to safety by the parachutist above, landing them in the harbour.

In July 1985, Rev Hughes had been on his 13th jump with 4 Para - the 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment. At the time he was also working as a vicar at All Saints Church in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, whilst serving as a Territorial Army chaplain to the regiment.

After conducting a morning service he got on a Hercules planes which took off from Catterick Garrison, heading for a base in Lincolnshire for a low parachute dive from 700ft.

Rev Hughes said the aircraft had two doors, with soldiers jumping out alternate doors with a one second gap between them. But the two queues became out of synch, missing the crucial timings.

Shortly after he jumped, he found himself tangled up in the lines of another parachutist.

To compound their problems, they didn’t have time to follow the procedure of throwing away the heavy kit bags strapped to their legs before they hit the ground, which could also potentially break their legs.

Both parachutists had a matter of seconds to find a solution before they hit the ground. Rev Hughes said there was no time for praying.

“I do remember after the event people asking, “did you pray?” – I was falling to the ground with eight seconds to react!” he said.

Luckily, training kicked in and Rev Hughes reached into a bag on his chest for his reserve parachute, grabbed it and threw it away from the two of them, hoping it would launch. It did.

“When you see the ground coming up rather quickly it is rather unforgiving. If you allow your brain to react like any normal person falling, then you’ve had it. But the training and organisation is so superb it kicks in automatically.”

Miraculously, both parachutists walked away from the scene unscathed.

The go-getting chaplain got up and rushed back to Kirkbymoorside to perform communion that evening. None of his parishioners that night had any idea of his near-death experience until they read it the following day on the front page of most national newspapers.

Rev Hughes, who was born in Middlesbrough, had served with the Coldstream Guards and the Royal Highland Fusiliers, before leaving the army to become a clergyman and Territorial Army chaplain.

In his time the former Red Devil member has performed skydives with his wife, Susan, static jumps from hot air balloons and other daring jumps; including from the wings of a plane.

The fearless chaplain and vicar of Berwick gave up skydiving at 55, about 15 years ago, but has had his service as army chaplain extended until his 70th birthday next year.

He urged any ordained men or women to consider becoming a chaplain to cadets or reserve forces by contacting the Reserve Forces and Cadets Associations for the North of England, based in Durham, on 0191-3847202.