Parachutist plunges through home’s roof in Atascadero and survives: ‘It was a miracle’

A parachutist training with a group at a California National Guard post plunged through the roof of an Atascadero home last week and miraculously survived, authorities said.

The Atascadero Police Department received reports around 4:55 p.m. July 6 that a parachutist had fallen through the roof of a residence in the 9500 block of Via Cielo.

Several neighbors saw the parachutist spiraling out of control before crashing into the residence, KSBY-TV reported. No one was inside the home at the time.

The parachutist, who has not been identified, fell without a full chute deployment during a group training exercise at Camp Roberts, police said.

Rose Martin, a neighbor and nurse, said she was the first person with medical experience on the scene.

“I didn’t know what I was going to find,” Martin said. “I just assessed him and only for a minute.”

When authorities arrived, they found the man stunned and in pain — but miraculously alive. He was conscious and didn’t appear to have any serious visible injuries. He was taken to the hospital afterward.

“The paramedics and the fire department — everybody was wonderful,” Martin said. “It was a miracle. ... I was just thankful to God that he lived through that horrible experience.”

Representatives from Camp Roberts were not immediately available to comment, but a spokesperson told the San Luis Obispo Tribune that the parachutist was part of a British military unit that was training in the “general (SLO County) area on private property.”

“We are grateful that the parachutist received only moderate injuries and that no other persons suffered injury,” the Atascadero Police Department said.

All of the others participating in the training touched down safely at their designated landing area, police said.

The home also fared better than perhaps expected. The parachutist “came through the roof, through the tresses and there’s not that much damage in the house,” Linda Sallady, the homeowner’s mother, told KSBY.

“It’s amazing. It’s mostly the ceiling, the sheetrock. He missed the counters, appliances, everything.”