MoD in parachute footage appeal

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The Ministry of Defence has appealed for anyone with footage showing an RAF parachute jump in East Sussex in which two men were injured to come forward.

Sgt Richard Cross remains in intensive care after crashing to the ground at Eastbourne's annual airshow on Sunday.

The first-year member of the RAF Falcons got into difficulties midway through the jump. Another parachutist was treated for injuries at the scene.

The display team of nine men dropped 8,000ft onto land on the seafront.

Alison Smith, who witnessed the accident, said when Sgt Cross landed, there was a "collective drawing in of breath" from the crowd, and everything went quiet.

The parachutist laid motionless on the ground. Picture: Alison Smith

"You were just waiting for him to get up, but he didn't get up," she recalled.

The parachutist is in his early 30s, and was recently married.

The RAF Falcons parachute team had been performing on the final day of Eastbourne Airbourne.

No members of the public were hurt.

The MoD has begun an inquiry into the incident.

The RAF Falcons were formed in 1961 and are based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire as part of the No 1 Parachute Training School.