An extreme sportsman who leapt off a 1,000-foot cliff in Lake Garda, Italy, only to suffer a parachute malfunction and tumble helplessly to the ground, shockingly managed to escape the harrowing ordeal with only minor injuries.

The entire fall was captured on 25-year-old Matthew Gough's headcam.

After 180 successful BASE jumps around the world, Gough's parachute got twisted and was facing backwards upon inflation.

"I was trying to think about what to do, but all I could think about was trying to stay alive, I knew the final impact was coming soon and I knew if I hit the floor at the speed I was travelling, I was in a whole lot of trouble," Gough said later. "I managed to hang off one side of the [canopy] and get away from the cliff but couldn't control it still, I didn't know if I was going to hit the floor or go into the lake."

Though he slammed into the ground at nearly 40mph, Gough was incredibly lucky to have missed a series of metal spikes by mere inches.

"The spikes were around a foot long and there was ten of them, the one right in the middle brushed my face and went between my helmet and my face and ripped my helmet off, I think it cushioned my fall slightly," he said.

Gough sustained minor injuries to his lower extremities and was released from the hospital just hours after being admitted.

In fact, Gough says he's ready to go again.

Said Gough: "Some jumps I may not do, I may avoid the more technical ones but I will carry on jumping, my parents are desperate for me to stop, but I fully accept the dangers of this sport and don't expect any sympathy."

[video via SWNS TV]