Man plunges to death from 14th floor in Florida as parachute failed to open
- By Web Desk -
- Mar 23, 2021
A man plunged to his death in Florida after his parachute failed to open when he jumped from a hotel balcony, authorities said.
Emergency services were called out yesterday evening to deal with reports of a man having fallen to his death.
Police said that the unidentified man jumped from the balcony at the Sunrise Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, according to WMBB. The parachute the man was wearing when he jumped reportedly did not open in time during the BASE jump.
Emergency services believe the man was in his 20s but it is not known whether he was visiting from out of state, according to media reports.
It is also not yet known whether the man had been a paying guest at the hotel or whether he sought permission to jump from one of the balconies.
BASE jumping, unlike skydiving, involves leaping from fixed buildings to the ground with the aid of a parachute. BASE stands for the four types of objects one can jump from – building, antenna, span and earth (cliff).
It is considered to be a far more dangerous extreme sport than other forms of parachuting, as BASE jumping by its very nature typically involves far lower altitudes and jumpers only carry one parachute.