Skydiver suspended at 15,000 feet after parachute gets snagged on plane's tail

A skydiving trip inAustraliatook a harrowing turn when one person's parachute became entangled in the tail of the plane, stranding them at 15,000 feet.

The aircraft, a Cessna 208 Caravan, was carrying one pilot and 17 parachutists, including a camera operator, on Sept. 20 as they attempted a 16-person formation jump over the northernmost part of the state of Queensland.

The camera operator stepped out first, holding on to the fuselage of the plane. When the first skydiver emerged, a handle securing their reserve chute got caught on the plane's flap over the wing, prompting the chute to deploy inadvertently, according to a video and areport about the incidentreleased Thursday by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

The chute dragged the skydiver backward, knocking the camera operator off the plane and into free fall. The skydiver, who has not been publicly identified, flew straight into the plane's horizontal stabilizer on the left side of the tail, and the chute became wrapped around it, leaving the skydiver suspended.

The pilot, unaware of what had happened, felt the aircraft suddenly pitch up, and noticed the airspeed rapidly decreasing. Believing the aircraft had stalled, the pilot increased power to regain airspeed but reduced it after being told a skydiver was hung up on the tail.

Thirteen other parachutists exited the plane in quick succession, while two remained in the doorway. They watched as the skydiver used a hook knife — which is not mandatory equipment — to cut through 11 ropes connected to the chute, enabling it to tear free in about 50 seconds.

But that was only the first problem.

The skydiver then deployed the main parachute, but it was tangled with the remnants of the reserve chute. The skydiver fell about 7,000 feet from the plane before the main lines fully unwound from the dangling reserve line and functioned normally for the remainder of the descent, the report said.

All parachutists landed safely, including the camera operator and the first skydiver, who sustained minor leg injuries from hitting the horizontal stabilizer.

Meanwhile, the pilot was having control difficulties because the impact of the skydiver had damaged the horizontal stabilizer, which still had part of the reserve chute wrapped around it.

The pilot, who was wearing an emergency parachute, was prepared to bail out from the plane if necessary, but was ultimately able to land safely at Tully Airport, officials said.

According to the report, the Far North Freefall Club, which organized the jump, now requires all parachutists to carry a hook knife.

"Carrying a hook knife — although it is not a regulatory requirement — could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment," ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said, adding that parachutists should be mindful of their handles, especially when exiting a plane.

byVincento Seyarto

in

December 12, 2025

Skydiver suspended at 15,000 feet after parachute gets snagged on plane's tail

A skydiving trip inAustraliatook a harrowing turn when one person's parachute became entangled in the tail of the pla...

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Skydiver dangles at 15,000 feet after parachute catches on plane's tail in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian accident investigators on Thursday released dramatic images of a skydiver's parachute becoming entangled on an airplane's tail, leaving him dangling at 4,500 meters (15,000 feet.)

The skydiver, Adrian Ferguson, used a hook knife to cut himself free and sustained minor leg injuries during the incident on Sept. 20 that began at Tully Airport in Queensland state. The pilot and 16 other parachutists on board the Cessna Caravan that day were not hurt.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau released the video with its report on its investigation into the mishap.

The plane had reached the desired altitude where the skydivers were planning to execute a 16-way formation jump. A 17th parachutist was at an open door waiting to record video as the others jumped.

Ferguson was leaving the plane when the ripcord of his reserve chute became snagged on a wing flap, the report said.

The chute released and immediately jerked Fergson backward. He knocked the camera operator clear from the plane and into a free fall. Ferguson's legs then struck the trail's horizontal stabilizer before the chute tangled around it and left him dangling.

Ferguson used a knife to cut 11 lines that enabled him to fall from the plane with part of the torn chute.

He released his main chute, which fully inflated despite becoming entangled with remnants of the reserve chute, and he landed safely.

Meanwhile, most of the other skydivers had jumped. The pilot was left with two skydivers aboard battling to control the plane with part of the chute still tangled around the tail.

The pilot made a mayday call and was prepared to bail out wearing an emergency chute. But Brisbane air traffic authorities decided he had enough control of the plane to land safely at Tully. It landed without incident.

"Carrying a hook knife — although it is not a regulatory requirement — could be lifesaving in the event of a premature reserve parachute deployment," the bureau's chief commissioner Angus Mitchell said.

byVincento Seyarto

in

December 12, 2025

Skydiver dangles at 15,000 feet after parachute catches on plane's tail in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australian accident investigators on Thursday released dramatic images of a skydiver's pa...

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EU set to lock up Russia's frozen assets so Hungary and Slovakia can't veto their use for Ukraine

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is expected on Friday to lock up Russia's assets held in Europe until it gives up itswar in Ukraineand compensates its neighbor for the heavy damage that it has inflicted for almost four years.

The move is an important step that would allow EU leaders to work out at a summit next week how to use the tens of billions of euros in Russian Central Bank assets to underwritea huge loanto help Ukraine meet its financial and military needs over the next two years.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – Russian President Vladimir Putin'sclosest allyin Europe – accused the European Commission, which prepared the decision, "of systematically raping European law."

A total of 210 billion euros ($247 billion) in Russian assets are frozen in Europe. The vast majority of the funds — around 193 billion euros ($225 billion) at the end of September — are held in Euroclear, a Belgian financial clearing house.

The money was frozen under sanctions that the EU imposed on Russia over the war it launched on Feb. 24, 2022, but these sanctionsmust be renewedevery six months, and all 27 member countries must approve them for that to happen.

Hungary and Slovakiaoppose providing more supportto Ukraine.

Friday's expected decision, which is based on EU treaty rules allowing the bloc to protect its economic interests in certain emergency situations, would prevent them from blocking the sanctions rollover and make it easier to use the assets.

Orbán said on social media that it means that "the rule of law in the European Union comes to an end, and Europe's leaders are placing themselves above the rules."

"The European Commission is systematically raping European law. It is doing this in order to continue the war in Ukraine, a war that clearly isn't winnable," he wrote. He said that Hungary "will do everything in its power to restore a lawful order."

In a letter to European Council President António Costa, who will chair the summit starting on Dec. 18, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said that he would refuse to back any move that "would include covering Ukraine's military expenses for the coming years."

He warned "that the use of frozen Russian assets could directly jeopardizeU.S. peace efforts, which directly count on the use of these resources for the reconstruction of Ukraine."

But the commission argues that the war has imposed heavy costs by hiking energy prices and stunting economic growth in the EU, which has already provided nearly 200 billion euros ($235 billion) in support to Ukraine.

Karel Janicek contributed to this report from Prague.

byVincento Seyarto

in

December 12, 2025

EU set to lock up Russia's frozen assets so Hungary and Slovakia can't veto their use for Ukraine

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is expected on Friday to lock up Russia's assets held in Europe until it gives up ...

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US sanctions shipping companies and vessels it says move Venezuelan oil, a day after seizing tanker

The US has announced new sanctions on shipping companies and vessels it says help move Venezuelan oil, putting more pressure on a major prop of President Nicolas Maduro's regime a day after it seized a sanctioned tanker likely carrying millions of dollars' worth of oil off the country's coast.

Three nephews of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, as well as another Maduro-affiliated businessman were also named in the sanctions list released on Thursday by the US Treasury. Two of the sanctioned nephews were previouslyconvictedof drug trafficking charges in the US before being released in a prisoner swap.

The Treasury said thesix vesselswere engaged in "deceptive and unsafe shipping practices" that provided financial resources to Maduro's government. Four of the vessels are Panama-flagged. The other two are Cook Islands and Hong Kong-flagged.

The move further escalates the Trump administration's months-long pressure campaign on Venezuela that has included moving thousands of troops and a carrier strike group into the Caribbean, strikes on suspected drug boats and repeated threats against Maduro.

On Wednesday armed US personnelseized an oil tankerin international waters off the Venezuelan coast that had allegedly been involved in an "illicit oil shipping network" supporting countries such as Venezuela and Iran, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Venezuela is home to theplanet's single-largest known mass of crude oil, but international sanctions and a deep economic crisis have crippled the country's oil industry.

State-owned oil and natural gas company PDVSA still represents the biggest revenue source for Maduro's cash-strapped government however, thanks partly to a network of shadowy vessels that smuggle Venezuelan oil into global supply chains.

The seizure of the tanker and the latest sanctions on companies and ships accused of helping to move Venezuelan oil could inject uncertainty into those operations, said Muyu Xu, a senior oil analyst at trade intelligence firm Kpler.

"What we need to watch out the next few days is whether the loadings will get delayed, whether they (Venezuela) will see less tankers going to the Caribbean," she told CNN.

"In order to attract these vessels, they (Venezuela) probably need to pay higher freight rates for the ship owners."

Additional seizures are possible in the coming weeks as the US applies pressure on Maduro, a senior US official previously told CNN.

Maduro has claimed that Trump's escalating campaign against him is primarily motivated by a desire to get at Venezuelan oil.

Reuters reported Maduro said the boat, known as the Skipper had been carrying almost two million barrels of oil "to international markets" when it was seized.

Oil prices remain around $58 a barrel in the United States.

With the tanker carrying around 1.8 million barrels of Merey crude, Kpler's Xu told CNN the value of the landed cargo would be around $84 million.

Venezuela produces about 1 million barrels of oil per day, but only about 0.8% of global crude production. That's less than half of what it produced before Maduro took control of the country in 2013 and less than a third of the 3.5 million barrels it was pumping before the Socialist regime took over in 1999.

CNN has reached out to the Venezuelan government for comment on the latest sanctions.

Targeted tankers

The seized tanker was headed to Cuba and carrying Venezuelan crude when it was seized by US forces – around the same time as Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machadotouched down in Oslo, after she defied a travel ban and fled the country.

Previously named Adisa, the tanker was sanctioned by the US in 2022 for facilitating oil trades for Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force.

Skipper had hidden its true location while docked at a Venezuelan oil terminal last month, according to satellite and shipping data reviewed by CNN. The tanker was flying a Guyana flag, despite not being registered in Guyana, the country's Maritime Administration Department said.

None of the six vessels sanctioned on Thursday were in the Caribbean as of early Friday EST, according to AIS shipping data reviewed by CNN.

As of early Friday EST there were at least 8 tankers under US sanctions related to Iran or Russia's war on Ukraine near Venezuelan ports, or off its coast, according to AIS shipping data reviewed by CNN and matched up with US Treasury data. This includes three tankers that are around the Port Jose Oil Terminal, the same terminal the recently seized vessel Skipper was spotted on satellite imagery last month.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Skipper will now travel to an American port, where US authorities intend to take possession of its oil cargo.

Meanwhile, Maduro said the seizure marked "a new era of criminal naval piracy in the Caribbean," as his government filed a formal complaint with the International Maritime Organization.

Kpler's Xu said if the US started frequently arresting crews or detaining cargoes, it could be a problem for Venezuela's ability to ship out its oil.

"It could really be problematic, because maybe at some point these ship owners would sense that the risk is simply too high and nobody wants to come. "

CNN's Stefano Pozzebon and Donald Judd contributed to this report.

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byVincento Seyarto

in

December 12, 2025

US sanctions shipping companies and vessels it says move Venezuelan oil, a day after seizing tanker

The US has announced new sanctions on shipping companies and vessels it says help move Venezuelan oil, putting more pressure on a major pro...

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NATO chief warns European allies they could be Russia’s next target

NATOSecretary General Mark Rutte warned Thursday that members of the alliance could be "Russia'snext target," calling for a rapid rise in defense spending to prevent a war similar to those seen by past generations.

Rutte's comments, in a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Berlin, came as European leaders discussed a peace proposal designed to end Russia's years-long war in Ukraine against a backdrop of growing US pressure.

"We need to be ready because conflicts … are no longer fought at arm's length. Conflict is at our door," he said.

"Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured."

However, he added, if NATO "delivers on our commitments, this is a tragedy we can prevent."

Rutte cautioned that "Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years."

"Too many are quietly complacent. … Too many believe time is on our side. It is not," he warned. "The time for action is now. Allied defense spending and production must rise rapidly."

In June, NATO members agreed to increase their defense spending targets to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035, more than double the current 2% target and in line with the type of increase US President Donald Trump has demanded for years.

While Rutte acknowledged that "to some extent in Europe, we'll have to take more care of our own defense," he also sought to highlight the US commitment to NATO. He made the comments after the Trump administration on Friday released its National Security Strategy, which adopted an unprecedentedly confrontational posture toward Europe.

"It's crucial we keep the transatlantic bond as it is today," he said, pointing out that "you cannot defend the US without a safe Atlantic, and you need NATO to keep the Atlantic safe."

Rutte praised Trump for kick-starting talks on Russia and Ukraine, telling CNN's Fred Pleitgen that the US president was "the only one who could break the deadlock with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."

Trump has expressed impatience to reach a deal in recent weeks, while the Europeans have appeared more cautious, seeking both guarantees over security and further discussions on any territorial concessions.

"There have to be security guarantees (for Ukraine) in place of such a quality and level that Putin knows if he tries again the reaction will be devastating," Rutte said.

"We all know there will be a delicate, difficult discussion about territory, which in the end only the Ukrainians can decide about," he added.

Meanwhile, Russia called on the United Kingdom to "admit" what a British soldier who died in Ukraine was doing there, implying without evidence that British forces were performing more than their publicly disclosed duties in the country.

Britain's Ministry of Defence said Wednesday that the soldier died "following a tragic accident whilst observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability, away from the front lines."

CNN's Anna Cooban, Anna Chernova and Fred Pleitgen contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byVincento Seyarto

in

December 12, 2025

NATO chief warns European allies they could be Russia’s next target

NATOSecretary General Mark Rutte warned Thursday that members of the alliance could be "Russia'snext target," calling for a r...

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Chileans are divided in a presidential runoff tilted toward the far right

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Ask many Chileans how their country fared in the past several years and they'll describe a descent into disaster:Venezuelan gangs surgedacross porous borders, bringing unprecedented kidnappings and contract killings to one of the region's safest nations.A social uprising unleashed violentchaos on once-sleepy streets. An economy long vaunted for its rapid growth sputtered into a stall.

These are the voters who hope to elect their country's most right-wing president since its military dictatorship on Sunday.

Former lawmakerJosé Antonio Kast, 59, they argue, can bring back the simple, stable life that Chileans lost torising crime, uncontrolled migrationand left-wing excesses. Kast's rival in thisrunoff presidential electionis their worst fear: a communist.

"We need to go back in time to when Chile meant peace and quiet, when there weren't so many Venezuelans and Colombians in the streets, when you didn't have to look over your shoulder every second," said Ernesto Romero, 70, shucking corn at his vegetable stall in Chile's capital of Santiago.

A deeply polarized electorate

Ask the same question to other Chileans and they'll recount an opposite reality: A shorter workweek, higher minimum wage and more generous pension system made one of Latin America's most unequal countries more livable, they say. The homicide rate declined in the last two years, official figures show. A defiant foreign policy — outspoken againstVenezuela's autocratic President Nicolas Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump'sdenial of climate changeandIsraeli actionsagainst Palestinians — made Chile a regional champion of democracy.

These are the voters who hope,against heavy odds, to elect their country's most left-wing president since its return to democracy in 1990.

Jeannette Jara, 51, they argue, can save Chile from the wave offar-right populismthat hasupended politicsacross the world. Jara's rival is their worst fear: The son of aNazi party memberwith a fondness forGen. Augusto Pinochet'sbrutal dictatorship.

"We need to go forward," said Lucía Poblete, a 32-year-old engineer at Jara's rally late Wednesday. "Kast will erase all the progress we've made for women, for labor rights, for civil freedoms."

The chasm between Chilean perspectives on the status quo underscores not only the depth of Chile's divisions but also the stakes of Sunday's showdown, which Kast isexpected to winafter 70% of voters backed right-leaning parties in the first round.

Kast vows to make Chile safe again

Today, Kast is hoping the third time's the charm, and his presidential run has so far been a much more effective endeavorthan the previous two. That's largely thanks to fears of organized crime and immigration driving voters to the right.

"Jara seems more grounded, more sensible. But it's not the time for that. It's time for drastic measures, for shows of force," said Eduardo Marillana, 48, a former Jara supporter who jumped ship for Kast after his truck was stolen a few weeks ago. "Whether we like it or not, we need the far right now."

In 2021, the Catholic father of ninelost the runoffelection tocurrent President Gabriel Boric, a former firebrand student protest leader who rattled investors with his promises to "bury neoliberalism" butappealed to millions of ordinary Chileanssick of fiscal austerity, angry about social inequality and eager to reexamineChile's traumatic past.

Kast's family ties to the Nazi party sparked an uproar at the time — as did his apparent nostalgia for Gen. Pinochet (who he said "would vote for me if he were alive")and his fierce oppositionto same-sex marriage and abortion without exception.

This time, Kast has dodged questions about his social views, pivoting to the more politically palatable issues of insecurity and mass migration that have ginned up voter anxiety andboosted the right from WashingtontoParis.

Taking apage from Trump's playbook, Kast vows mass deportations of the estimated 337,000 migrants in Chile without legal status —mostly Venezuelans who arrivedfrom their crisis-stricken country in the last seven years.

Studying the crime-fighting tactics ofEl Salvador's popular autocratic president, Nayib Bukele, Kast proposes boosting the power of police and expanding maximum-security prison capacity.

Borrowing from Argentina'sradical libertarian President Javier Milei, Kast aims to slash red tape, shrink the public payroll and cut state spending by $6 billion within just 18 months of taking office.

His economic team on Thursday pushed back against widespread criticism that such a budget cut was unrealistic. But it acknowledged to The Associated Press that it might be "preferable to allow for an adjustment over a longer period."

Underdog Jara faces tough odds

At any other moment, Jara would have a lot going for her. She engineered Boric's mostsignificant welfare measuresas his minister of labor. Her humble origins selling hot dogs and toilet paper to get through school makes for a compelling up-from-nothing story so rare in Chile's elite circles of power. She has a strong record of negotiating with rivals to get things done.

But experts say it'll take a miracle for her to pry a victory from Kast.

"The math doesn't add up," said Robert Funk, associate professor of political science at the University of Chile. "There are just too many things stacked against her."

The most glaring: Her identity as a communist. Although her proposals to improve living standards, boost foreign investment and promote fiscal restraint hardly smack of communism, analysts say her membership in the party since age 14 undercuts efforts to lure moderate conservatives.

"Just the name 'Communist Party scares people," said Lucía Dammert, a sociologist and Boric's first chief of staff.

Then there's the challenge ofrepresenting a governmentwith a 30% approval rating in a country where citizens have voted out incumbent leaders at every election since 2005. Add to that the difficulty of appearing tough on crime next to Kast.

"This campaign is among the most difficult I've ever run, by far," Ricardo Solari, Jara's campaign strategist and a former minister, told the AP. What keeps Jara in the game, he insisted, is her appeal as a bulwark against Kast's radicalism.

"The right exaggerates insecurity to convince people that the only possible response is extreme force," Solari said. "But we've seen elsewhere in Latin America that when that happens, ultimately what gets imprisoned is democracy itself."

byVincento Seyarto

in

December 12, 2025

Chileans are divided in a presidential runoff tilted toward the far right

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Ask many Chileans how their country fared in the past several years and they'll describe a des...

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Noem confronted about veteran in contentious hearing over deportations

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem found herself in the hot seat on Capitol Hill on Thursday, defending herself from Democrats who sharply questioned the Trump administration's hardline immigration actions.

In one notable exchange, Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., asked Noem if DHS had deported any military veterans -- and she said the department has not.

Magaziner then referred to a tablet with a man named Sae Joon Park on the screen, joining the hearing by Zoom.

Judge weighs potential contempt prosecution referral for Kristi Noem in El Salvador deportations

Magaziner said Park is a Purple Heart recipient who was shot twice while serving with the U.S. Army in Panama in 1989, who was deported to Korea by the Trump administration.

"Like many veterans, he struggled with PTSD and substance abuse after his service," Magaziner said. "He was arrested in the 1990s for some minor drug offenses, nothing serious. He never hurt anyone besides himself, and he's been clean and sober for 14 years."

When asked if she would thank Park for his service, Noem responded to the congressman, "Sir, I'm grateful for every single person that has served our country and follows our laws."

Trump's $1 million 'Gold Card' immigration application plan launches

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson later said Magaziner failed to mention that Park had a criminal history, although the congressman did address that in his remarks.

"In 2010 an immigration judge issued him an order of removal. Park's appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals that same month was dismissed by the Board in April 2011," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the statement. "With no legal basis to remain in the U.S. and a final order of removal, Park was allowed to self-deport to Korea."

In response to a question from Magaziner, Noem committed to reviewing Park's case.

Magaziner also introduced a military veteran named Jim Brown, from Troy, Missouri, who was sitting in the gallery behind Noem. Browns's wife -- a native of Ireland -- has lived in the U.S. for 48 years before being detained and facing deportation, the congressman said. Her only criminal record was writing two bad checks totaling $80 several years ago, Magaziner said.

byVincento Seyarto

in

December 12, 2025

Noem confronted about veteran in contentious hearing over deportations

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem found herself in the hot seat on Capitol Hill on Thursday, defendin...

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