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© Caters News AgencyRyan Szymanski pictured leaping into the quarry in Vermont
Footage has emerged showing the terrifying moment a daredevil free jumper obliterates his knee after plummeting 112 feet into a flooded quarry.

The clip captures Ryan Szymanski being cheered by onlookers as he hurls himself off the cliff before smashing into the murky water below.

It then shows the horrendous aftermath of the jump, with the 22-year-old in the hospital after he tore every ligament and tendon in his knee.

The video was filmed at a quarry in Vermont nicknamed "The Grotto" - a spot dubbed a "Mecca for cliff jumpers" by adrenaline junkies.

Cliff jumping - also known as tombstoning - involves either jumping or diving from a height into water.

Thriller-seekers hurl themselves from high-up ledges, such as cliffs, piers and other structures into the water below - often unaware of how deep the water may be and what lies beneath it.

Now on the road to recovery, Szymanski says that the experience was "pretty surreal."

He said: "I used to do free-running and gymnastics but continuously injured my shoulders so I transitioned into cliff jumping and diving.

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© Caters News AgencyHe plummeted 112ft towards the murky water below
"The only other injuries I've sustained while cliff jumping only resulted in severe bruising. I gave the safety divers two thumbs up with a big smile on my face and swam to shore on my own, thinking that I probably had a stinger or a cramp.

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© Caters News AgencyPhoto shows multiple staple stitches
"It wasn't until I tried to put my weight on the injured leg that I realized something was horribly wrong."

Although disappointed his accident happened on the "first day of an 11-day trip," Ryan admits he has "no one to blame but myself."

He also thanked friends and medics for coming to his aid.

Szymanski said: "I was obviously bummed to injure myself so severely - and on the first jump of the entire 11-day trip - but knew from the beginning that I had no one to blame but myself. I've also felt incredibly fortunate to have the resources and friends available that have made recovery possible.

"Everyone immediately sprung into action to help stabilize my leg and get me to the ER, but jumping-wise, they were unfazed."

He added: "Someone actually front-flipped it immediately after me and several athletes attempted jumps that were considerably more difficult than my own that same day."