A man jumped from 25,000 feet without a parachute and broke a world record in the process.
47-year-old Luke Aikins is a professional skydiver and BASE jumper who surprised the world with his daredevil stunt back in 2016.
To set a new Guinness World Record, the man flew to 25,000 feet only to jump off a plane without a parachute – yes, you read that right!
If you’re wondering how Aikins managed to survive the jump, you’re not alone. The answer lies in careful planning, tons of preparations and practice, and very strong willpower.
To compensate for not having a parachute, the skydiver hurled himself from the plane at the preset time before freefalling for more than 20,000 feet and landing in a giant net.
While having a giant net waiting for him at the ground was reassuring, Aikins had to make sure to aim for the right spot – which looked no bigger than a tiny dot from the sky – to avoid hitting the ground and dying in an instant.
Though the Screen Actors Guild initially ordered Aikins to wear a parachute even if he didn’t intend to use it, the order was eventually lifted after the skydiver argued it would affect his stunt negatively and put him in danger.
To make the stunt even more intense, the daredevil organized for the entire fall to be broadcasted on live television.
“I’m almost levitating, it’s incredible. This thing just happened! I can’t even get the words out of my mouth,” Aikins said after he broke the world record and lived to tell the tale.
“We did and cannot thank everyone enough for the support. My vision was always proper preparation and that if you train right you can make anything happen. Thank you!” he added on Facebook.
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