POLL: Emergency services condemn reckless 100ft jump from cliffs in Penzance
This is the moment a foolhardy daredevil launched himself from a 100ft cliff in one of the most reckless tombstoning stunts caught on camera in the UK.
The unnamed adrenalin junkie made the heart-stopping leap of faith from cliffs near Penzance, Cornwall.
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He hurled himself through the air and fell between 90ft and 100ft before landing in just 20ft of water below. The stunning images of his dive from the top of the cliff were captured on camera by photographer Alastair Sopp, 25.
It took the daredevil less than three seconds to freefall, arms flailing wildly, into the waters below.
The stunt is the latest in the popular tombstoning craze across coastal locations, particularly in the South West.
Last night, emergency services described the unnamed diver's actions as "completely reckless". Each year, coastguards and ambulance services are called to deal with horrific injuries including paralysis and broken necks, as people leap into the water unaware of the dangers.
The first known tombstoning fatality in the UK was Stephen Royston, 24, who jumped 100ft into a water-filled quarry at Kit Hill, near Callington, South-East Cornwall, in 2003.
Father-of-six Delwyn Jones, 46, was killed in June 2007 when he jumped 30ft (9.1m) at low tide in Torbay, Devon.
The following year, Steven Andrews broke his neck and was paralysed for life after falling 20ft nearby Whitsand Bay, Cornwall.
Dean Mason, an aspiring soldier from Weston-super- Mare, died last month after leaping into the water-filled Holcombe Quarry, near Midsomer Norton in Somerset, while three weeks ago a 17-year-old boy was taken to hospital on a spinal board after being left with serious injuries while tombstoning in Plymouth.
Although these photographs do not show the crucial moment of impact, photographer Alistair said the daredevil had spent weeks watching the tide and the weather charts before making his leap of faith. He said: "It was a breathtaking moment. I couldn't believe he jumped from so high up.
"I went and saw him down below and he said a lot of planning had gone into it, visiting on different tides, waiting for weather, and diving down to check depth.
"He said it was a calculated risk. It took him a while to compose himself and stop his legs shaking before being confident enough to make the leap. He told me he'd hurt his ribs and he probably won't jump it again."
Ian Guy, watch manager at Falmouth coastguards, said the diver was lucky to escape injury.
He said: "There can be some serious injuries at various heights, but the message simply doesn't seem to be getting through to people.
"To jump from 100ft is pretty reckless and can end in paralysis or even death. He's a lucky man."
13 Comments
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by Benny, redruth
Friday, July 30 2010, 10:19AM
“some say its fun, but how fun is spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair. i used to jump off anything as a child and had a very bad jump but am lucky that all i did was break my jaw and bite my tongue almost clean off. Certainly taught me a lesson. maybe some of these jumpers need to be made to speak with people who have jumped with life changing injuries, would have stopped me!”
by Lewis Crathern, Worthing West Sussex
Tuesday, July 27 2010, 11:32AM
“People of today do not get it, They work there jobs- 9-5 get drunk Friday and Saturday night and do it all again till they are 65. They are outraged at when people do something dangerous. They cannot compute that there are human beings which want to feel, live and explore.
Lying on a beach in Summer IS boring as someone mentioned below. You either do that all your life or choose to do something. Tomb Stoning is simply what these people chose to do. There will always be people saying its reckless. These will be the people forgotten about in time.
Well done Tomb stoners...
Extreme, Epic, Amazing- what a feeling”
by Graham, Hayle
Friday, July 23 2010, 10:28AM
“I am pretty sure 2003 is not the earliest date for a tombstoning fatality.
A few years earlier than that I first heard the term 'tombstoning' when a Hayle man, Louis Wallbank, (Lewis?) died while tombstoning from cliffs in SW Cornwall.
He was from a local family and was a keen sportsman and fitness fan. He was a great character,well known, deeply mourned and sadly missed.
Graham.”
by cheekyman, Redruth
Thursday, July 22 2010, 4:15PM
“Tombstoning (or as we used to call it - "Jumping off a cliff") is only really dangerous when you don't know what you're jumping into.
It's just something you do when you're younger and bored down at the beach. Like me, Charles and Clive say...it's the individuals right to have a go if they want.
I'm sure more people hurt themselves falling out of trees than off cliffs (if someone can furnish me with some form of statistic that'd be interesting at the very least) but no-one campaigns to stop this wildly irresponsible behaviour do they? :)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1277838/Green-Party-councillor-Phil-Gordon-dies-falling-tree.html”
by Clive, Mid Cornwall
Thursday, July 22 2010, 3:21PM
“Any loss of life is tragic, BUT indevidual people should have the right to assess and take their own risks. This type of thrill seeking activity is far less likely to harm to any but the person concerned than say driving/motorcycling fast or recklessly.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Thursday, July 22 2010, 2:19PM
“:| Sarah; 719 farmers aged 17 years and over who died from suicide in England and Wales between 1981 and 1993. . Official statistics. Keep things in proportion. . Some things are stupidity, some things are accidental, but some problems are caused by other people's stupidity.
It's time to our priorities right. . Far more farmers are committing suicide than cliff jumpers will ever have bad accidents.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/devon/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8840000/8840922.stm
.”
by SarahJ, Sharrow Beach
Thursday, July 22 2010, 1:39PM
“http://tombstoning.com/2008/05/14/i-wish-i-had-died-says-man-after-tombstoning-into-just-36-inches-of-water/
Mr Andrews, a builder from Plymouth, leapt off cliffs at Sharrow Beach in Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, on Sunday.
He downed six vodkas in a nearby pub to pluck up the courage to jump, then ignored coastguards who saw him on the cliff top and warned him to keep away.
A fast-ebbing tide had reduced the sea to a depth of just 3ft and he landed on sharp rocks, breaking his neck and damaging his spine in front of his horrified girlfriend Katie Hart, 22.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Thursday, July 22 2010, 1:15PM
“:| @youngcornwall, uk
Did you know youngcornwall; most of these guys who indulge in any of these mad pastimes or sports like speedway or scrambling are really great people to know. . They don't need knives or to go beating up on people to prove they've got bxlls.
http://www.amca.uk.com/
Best Charles
PS. I used to ride a 310 Montesa. And I've still got most of my teeth.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Thursday, July 22 2010, 12:36PM
“:| Badgers are carnivores. . They eat hedgehogs and dig out animals like baby rabbits when they can. . And they are largely responsible for the demise of our ground nesting birds like the Skylark and the Nightingale. . Of course the badger 'experts' are all 'in denial' of this.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Thursday, July 22 2010, 12:20PM
“:| It's time to get priorities right. . More farmers are committing suicide than cliff jumpers are dying.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/devon/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8840000/8840922.stm
.
.”