Man plummets to death from clifftop as HORRIFIED wife videos his 'tombstone' leap
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
A viral clip shows the moment a 31-year-old man fell to his death after taking a leap from a 100 feet high clifftop. The clip was filmed by his wife from a boat below. This horrific incident took place at a rockface above a Majorcan coast close to Magaluf.
The man planned to jump into the sea directly, but he first hit an unusually shaped outcrop which was followed by a sickening crunch. His body then bounced into the waterbody like a rag doll. Watch the video here.
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This Dutch tourist was seen standing on the cliff on May 12, Thursday, at an islet in the Malgrats Islands. As he made the leap, he let out a massive scream. However, there was not enough momentum for the man to steer clear of the razor-like sharp rocks below. His wife, from the boat below, who was filming this could be heard yelling, "Oh my God."
The 31-year-old victim's partner and son received psychological help. Local authorities and officials tried to locate the body. They made use of resources like a rescue boat, helicopter, and a diving team. After searching for long hours, the body was finally located. That said, it is yet undetermined whether or not local authorities will continue investigating this incident further.
What is tombstoning?
Tombstoning, also known as cliff jumping, is a sport activity where individuals jump in a straight vertical position into the sea or ocean or any waterbody with the aim of touching their feet to the water first. This is called tombstone because of its position, as it resembles a tombstone in the true sense. Tombstoning typically involves jumping from high platforms like cliffs, bridges, or edges of harbors. Reportedly, 83 people were injured and 20 died when tombstoning between 2005 and 2015.
Between 2004 and 2008, there were 139 incidents reported, 20% of which suffered spinal injuries. Moreover, it is reported that, "If you jump from 20 feet (6 meters) above the water, you'll hit the water at 25 mph (40 kph) -- the impact is strong enough to compress your spine, break bones or give you a concussion." It was also reported that "...if you add some horizontal velocity, your impact speed increases. ...from the same height, "[A] diver who gets a running start and develops a significant forward velocity will hit the water with more net speed than a diver who dives straight down without a push off."