Moment skydiver from Wales had to frantically cut off his parachute after it opened too early Terrifying footage shows moment James Dobb's parachute opens too early Mr Dobb, 22, was preparing to jump when his chute released Brave skydiver from Llandrindod, Wales, able to cut himself free Crew faced battle to retrieve canopy before it got sucked into rotor blades This is the terrifying moment a skydiver's parachute opened too early, leaving him just inches away from a deadly tangle with a helicopter's rotor blades. The dramatic footage shows how thrill-seeker James Dobb had been preparing to leap from the helicopter when his parachute became tangled up in the aircraft, thousands of feet from the ground. Mr Dobb, 22, is then seen to desperately hack away at his main parachute before bravely jumping with only his reserve canopy. Terrifying: Dramatic footage shows the moment 22-year-old thrill seeker James Dobb's parachute opened too early as he prepared to jump, leaving him just inches away from a potentially fatal tangle with the blades of a helicopter Scare: Skydiver Mr Dobb had been preparing to leap from the helicopter when his loose parachute became tangled up in the aircraft, thousands of feet from the ground Brave: Mr Dobb was directed by the quick-thinking skydiving crew to cut away his opened parachute and jump using his reserve equipment Although Mr Dobb made the jump, the drama was not over as the others on board were left trying to haul the loose parachute back inside the helicopter before it could become tangled in the blades and become a flight risk for the aircraft. After several frantic minutes, they eventually managed to haul the parachute back into the helicopter, which was then able to land safely. James, from Llandrindod Wells, Wales, revealed that the equipment he used was rented, and therefore he was unaware who had packed it. Leap to safety: Mr Dobb is shown jumping using his reserve parachute, with the discarded equipment still tangled up in the helicopter Back down to earth: The 22-year-old's quick-thinking and bravery has earned him praise throughout the skydiving community Desperate: Others on board were left trying to haul the loose canopy before it got sucked into the rotor blades His quick-thinking and bravery has earned him praise throughout the skydiving community. He said: 'Before kitting up I performed all the usual checks including a check on the pin. Upon exiting of the helicopter I felt what I thought was a tap on my shoulder but I now assume it was an effect of the risers receiving a tug. 'I turned round and heard 'what the hell?' at the same time as seeing my canopy - it took me a couple of seconds to realise what was happening and what I was actually seeing. Averting disaster: The footage shows how quickly the crew were able to retrieve Mr Dobb's parachute Grateful: Mr Dobb said that without the crew pulling the lines in, cutting-away with a reserve line attached wouldn't have been an option High praise: Grateful Mr Dobb has hailed the sky diving crew for the speed with which they pulled the canopy back inside the helicopter Ordeal: After Mr Dobb jumped from the helicopter it was able to land safely I sat there for a couple more seconds, trying to think what options existed, and then was told to just cut it away. 'After I actually cut away, I shouted 'I've got to go' and got confirmation in the form of 'just jump'. 'Watching the video back I'm so thankful for the crew and their quick reactions and handling of the situation. 'Without them pulling the lines in initially, cutting-away with a reserve line attached probably wouldn't have been an option. Their speediness of also recognising that I had to get out and pulling in the canopy was brilliant. Excitement: Skydiving Mr Dobb, left, pictured before his leap with fellow thrill-seekers Rebecca Mansfield, Scott Freemantle and Chris Overton Relief: Mr Dobb, pictured with girlfriend Alice Newton, said he was 'so thankful' to the skydiving crew for their handling of the situation