Base jumper Vince Reffet. (AP)
French ‘jetman’ dies during training accident in Dubai
A ‘jetman’ famed for performing daredevil aerial stunts above the UAE has died during a training accident in Dubai.
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Vincent Reffet, a French member of Mission Human Flight - Dubai’s efforts towards unassisted human flight - was killed during training on Tuesday, Jetman Dubai said in a statement.
“It is with unimaginable sadness that we announce the passing of Jetman Pilot, Vincent (Vince) Reffet, who died this morning, 17 November during training in Dubai,” Jetman Dubai wrote in a post to Instagram.
“Vince was a talented athlete, and a much-loved and respected member of our team. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who knew and worked with him.”
The post led to an outpour of condolences for the 36-year-old stuntman, who was known for pushing the limits of autonomous human flight, including a famed BASE jump off the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, setting a world record.
He earlier earned gold medals while competing as a free-flying skydiver on a team and competed as an extreme athlete sponsored by Red Bull.
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