Florida man falls 60 feet into creek after branch breaks

Christopher James Sikes Smalley fell 60 feet into a creek at Crystal Springs when a branch broke beneath him.

A dramatic video captures the moment a Florida man fell 60 feet into a creek after the branch he was standing on broke. 

Christopher James Sikes Smalley was at Crystal Springs, a popular swimming spot in Vernon, Florida when the incident occurred. The footage shows Smalley holding onto an overhead branch with one hand while balancing on another branch below.

Posted @withregram • @abcnews A man who fell from what he described as a 60-foot-tall tree into a creek in Vernon, Florida, emerged from the fall with just minor injuries. pic.twitter.com/qmUEFThGJ2

— 💫𝓝𝓲𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓪 - Unbothered Goddess💫 (@nikangel39) July 9, 2024

Suddenly, the branch beneath him snapped, causing Smalley to plummet, hitting several branches on his way down before landing in the water. "It was wild! I heard the crack and knew things were getting real, real fast," Smalley told Storyful.

He added, "This was my first time jumping from that high up. Usually, I just use the lower branch." Despite the harrowing fall, Smalley escaped without any broken bones, sustaining only bruises to his legs and feet.