A MAN was taken to hospital after a skydiving accident at the Skydive North West Centre yesterday.

Ambulance crews were called to Cark Airfield following the incident, which left the man with a back injury.

Police in the area noticed a member of staff at the centre waiting for an ambulance and went to the scene to assist.

Officers confirmed later on that a man in his 50s had been taken to Royal Preston Hospital.

The injuries he sustained were not life-threatening, they said.

One eyewitness said the man landed awkwardly and injured his back, describing the incident as 'very scary'.

They said: “I could just see him land. He seemed to be coming in very quickly, but the landing seemed to go wrong, and he ended up hitting the ground very hard.

“The parachute seemed to go fine but it was the last bit that must have gone wrong.

“We saw him get dragged a few feet as well. Luckily, his legs weren’t broken, but his back was injured.

“He tried to stand up and we thought he was ok but then he stopped moving. Very scary thing to see.

“This is a very safe airfield and they haven’t had an accident in ten years.

“The skydiver was very experienced but of course things can still go wrong. We all really hope he’s ok after all this.”

A spokeswoman from Cumbria Police confirmed in a statement said: “At around 11:02am officers assisted following an incident at Cark Airfield.

“A skydiver, a man in his late 50s, was taken to Preston Royal Hospital with injuries not believed to be life threatening.”

A spokeswoman from the North West Ambulance Service said two ambulances were called to the scene.

She confirmed that the man suffered a back injury in the accident.

The Skydive Northwest Centre, near Grange-over-Sands, hosts charity skydives, tandem dives and solo training courses.

According to its website, skydivers can jump from heights of up to 15,000 feet and reach speeds of around 120mph.