Reuters Wingsuit base jumper Jeb Ray Corliss (in the middle in this linked photo) is lucky to be alive today after something went wrong with a recent jump and he slammed into the side of South Africa’s Table Mountain. The result: Two broken legs.
Corliss, 35, was being filmed by HBO and was performing his second jump from the Cape Town landmark when the accident happened at 10am on Monday.
A spokesman for Table Mountain, Merle Collins, said Mr Corliss was “lucky to be alive” after he fell more than 200 feet from the 3,500 foot mountain before landing on a sloped side known as Africa Face.
“He managed to release his emergency chute and we believe he would have died without it,” she said.
He was recovered from close to the base of the mountain by air ambulance and taken to a private hospital in the city where he was admitted to intensive care.
A spokesman for the hospital said that he remained in good spirits, and instructed her to tell well-wishers: “I feel the best I ever have.”
Combined with the story of a woman who survived a fall when her bungee cord broke, this has not been the safest month for adrenaline junkies on the African continent.
But I suppose things could have been worse.
MARGE (peering at top of mountain with telescope): “Is that your wallet?”
HOMER: “DOH!”
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Base-jumper survives after he crashes into face of Table Mountain [The Telegraph]
