Base jumper rescued after parachute malfunction at Auckland hotel
A 22-year-old Belgian base jumper dangled from a hotel's 23rd-floor exterior after his parachute malfunctioned mid-jump.
The tourist jumped from the 27th floor of Hotel Indigo on Tuesday evening around 10:42pm. The jumper's parachute opened but spun around and caught on a metal bar on the building's facade, leaving him suspended outside the 23rd floor.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand rescue team cut a glass panel worth approximately $20,000 and pulled him inside after nearly an hour. He was not injured.
Police later discovered this was not his first base jump; he had also jumped from another Auckland building in September. He now faces two burglary charges and will appear in court on October 27.
Why it mattersThe incident shows how base jumping poses serious risks to jumpers and requires expensive emergency responses, with rescue costs and property damage borne by the community.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet; the incident occurred in New Zealand, though similar dangerous stunts have occurred in Australian cities.
Corroborated bythenightly.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 4 h ago
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