U.K. military parachutist owes his teammate, big time

LONDON -- A British military stunt team member whose chute became tangled with another and failed to open properly owes a big thank you to a teammate who grabbed his parachute and got them both to a safe landing.

The Red Devils display team was performing Friday at the Whitehaven Airshow in northwestern England. Eyewitness Lucy Milne told the BBC on Saturday that spectators watched aghast as one of the men frantically kicked in the air before his teammate rescued him.

A message posted on the show's Facebook page assured spectators that both were fine after "one team member caught his teammate and brought him into Queens Dock."

The British Army said in a statment released Saturday that the two men involved were "taking part in a planned manoeuvre... when their parachutes became entangled. Working as a team, they were able to land safely, and both men were unharmed."

The parachutists landed in water and were plucked to safety.

CBS News partner network Sky News interviewed both of the men involved in the incident on Saturday. Corporal Mike French, 34, told Sky he was indeed indebted to his commarade, suggesting he'd buy him, a "pint of beer maybe. It's all part of being in the parachuting world."

The Red Devils, comprised of members of the Parachute Regiment, carry out some 60 displays every year.