Jason Statham leapt to safety from a truck he was driving before in plunged 60ft into the sea as a stunt when wrong.

Fellow star Sylvester Stallone revealed former diver Jason’s swimming skills saved his life after the wagon’s brakes failed while filming action film The Expendables 3.

Speaking before of last night’s London premiere, Sly, 68, said: “He faced death. He was test-driving a three-ton truck and the brakes run out.

"It went down 60ft into the Black Sea and became impaled.

(Image: BBC)

“Luckily we had taken the doors off before.

"If anyone else had been in that truck we would have been dead because we were all wearing heavy boots and gun belts.

"We would have drowned. But because Jason is an Olympic-quality diver he got out of it.”

Jason, 47, competed for England on the springboard and the platform in the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, before he shot to fame in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

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The hard man has gone on to appear in action films including The Transporter and is known for doing many of his own stunts.

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Asked about the worst injury he had received on set, he joked: “I snapped a shoelace in the very first scene.”

Stallone, who was hurt himself in a fall on set and had to have a metal plate inserted in his back, stars with Jason, Wesley Snipes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford.

He was joined on the premiere red carpet by daughters Sophia, Sistene, and Scarlet, along with wife Jennifer Flavin.

Stallone added: “ Jason looks great on camera. He is a great athlete. He learned on the street and is a bad ass for real.”