On June 30, 2016, veteran American skydiver Luke Aikins made history by being the first person to jump 25,000 feet (7600 meters) above sea level without a parachute. The world was left shocked when the daredevil took this giant leap of faith with an aim to land on a net just 100 feet squared.
Internet users are revisiting the shocking footage of the stunt called ‘Heaven Sent,’ showing the then 42-year-old Aikins, rolling down from a pane and freefalling into a 30 by 30 m net structure softly, dubbed as ‘Fly Trap.’
The deadly stunt was carried out in the Californian deserts as a crowd of anxious spectators held their breath for two-and-a-half-minute freefall which ended with a soft landing.
Unlike usual stunts which are recorded and shared later, Aikins, a serious skydiver and a BASE jumper decided to broadcast the stunt on live television and it was aired by Fox network during an hourlong special.
After the breath-taking landing on the Fly Trap, Aikins, climbed out the net, cheering and hugged his wife, Monica, as he broke the Guinness World Record for highest skydive without a parachute or even a wingsuit.
Twitter users can’t get enough of the astonishing footage and have made it viral once again. ‘Absolute Bonkers,’ captioned a netizen while sharing the video on May 31.
Absolutely bonkers. Air diver Luke Aikins breaks the world record by jumping from 7620 meters without a parachute.pic.twitter.com/FpH5p8UJBa
— PiQ (@PriapusIQ) May 30, 2021
The astounding stunt has captivated netizen’s attention as their jaw-dropped witnessing the footage and racked up more than 3 million views and over 30, 000 likes.
A user was impressed and emphasised on his Aikin’s flip right before landing.
He flipped faster than a cat right right before landing. So bloody impressive.— Sam (@Samir_Madani) May 30, 2021
While another commented that some people are wired differently.
Some people are just wired differently — PiQ (@PriapusIQ) May 30, 2021
A person wrote a hilarious comment stating that he got dizzy while going to 12th floor of his building.
When I got to the 12th of the former office building I feel dizzy — Uresh Perera (UP) (@UreshP) May 30, 2021
Aikins had been preparing for the jump for two years and had performed 18,000 parachute jumps previously. Aikins, a third-generation skydiver, was ordered to wear a parachute by Screen Actors Guild but minutes before the drop, the requirement was lifted and the rest is history.
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