He fell 1000s of feet and broke his spine. What he did a year later was something even doctors called impossible

A man’s ordinary adventure turned into a near-death experience when a paragliding accident sent him crashing thousands of feet from the sky. What followed was a painful and uncertain road to recovery—physically, emotionally, and mentally. But nearly a year later, defying medical advice and overcoming intense personal struggles, he stood once again where he felt most alive—on top of a mountain.

Shared on the Human of Bombay Instagram handle, this is the story of resilience, of a man who refused to give up, even when everything around him told him to.

Ankit Moyall was just eight years old when he took his first trek, a moment that would quietly shape the direction of his life. Over the years, his bond with the mountains only grew stronger. By 2020, during a trek in Kheerganga — where one side offered sunshine and the other rain — he felt certain that the mountains were where he truly belonged. During the lockdown, while the world stood still, Ankit found movement in solitude, escaping into the Himalayas whenever he could.

By 2023, this passion had turned into something bigger. His workplace was willing to sponsor a ₹16 lakh expedition to three peaks — a dream turning real. He began training intensively, focused only on preparation. But fate had something else in store.

A Fall That Changed Everything
While paragliding in Bir, a mid-air collision turned adventure into catastrophe. Another glider crashed into his parachute, tearing it apart. As he began falling rapidly "thousands of feet from the sky", panic gripped him. Below, people screamed. For Ankit, everything after that came in flashes — the ground rushing up, a silent scream stuck in his throat, and then, nothing but darkness.

He opened his eyes inside an ambulance, unable to move. Doctors delivered the blow — a severely injured spine. He would take time to recover, they said, but what hit hardest was this: “You won’t be able to trek again.”

Losing the Mountains, Losing Himself
Bedridden and unable to lift himself, Ankit spiraled into despair. Depression followed, and at times, he questioned the point of it all. The mountains felt like a past life. “The end felt near,” he recalled. But three months in, something shifted. He stood up. A single step — slow, shaky, but powerful. That moment reminded him the end wasn’t near, it was far.

He kept going — one step turned to two, then ten. By July 2024, he was walking on his own. Going against medical advice, he resumed training. The goal wasn’t just physical recovery — it was reclaiming his identity.

The Climb Back Up
In October 2024, Ankit returned to the mountains. His destination: Rudranath. His family was scared, but he knew he had to do it for himself. The moment he reached the summit, he broke down in tears — a release of every ounce of pain and fear he had carried. It was more than just a trek. It was a declaration: he had survived his lowest fall — not just from the sky, but from a place of hopelessness.

That Rudranath climb became the first in a new chapter. He hasn't looked back since. Overcoming the biggest fall of his life—both literal and emotional—he reclaimed what the accident had almost taken away forever.

In the comments section of the Humans of Bombay Instagram post, support flooded in with messages calling him "inspirational" and "a lion." Many said his story gave them chills and helped put their own struggles in perspective.

Ankit’s journey reminds us that even when life throws us off course — literally — resilience can help us find our way back. For those standing at their rock bottom, his story is a reminder: the climb is always possible.