South Florida gymnast survives frightening fall

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. - A champion gymnast is on the road to recovery after a terrifying tumble that was caught on tape.

Jorge Valdez of Miami was auditioning for Cirque du Soleil when he got lost in the air and ended up landing on his head. He remembered "feeling like fire."

He dislocated his neck and suffered a herniated spinal cord.

"I was very scared. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to walk at least for a while," Valdez told WSVN.

He was rushed into an emergency room where doctors were able to decompress and realign his neck and at the same time initiate what they called a "hypothermia protocol."

Their quick actions worked.

Amazingly he is now up and walking.