A pair of French BASE jumpers shattered the world record in Dubai when they jumped off the tallest building in the world. Video of the death-defying leap was published to YouTube on Tuesday.
Veteran jumpers Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen had been preparing for the jump for more than three years by jumping out of helicopters in Dubai and even leaping off a mountain near Switzerland that boasts a similar height to the Burj Khalifa tower, which stands at 2,717 feet.
The daredevils had a special platform built that soared 500 feet higher than the building to ensure they would break the previous Guinesss World Record for highest BASE jump, which was set in 2010 from a lower point in the Burj Khalifa tower at about 2,205 feet.
“We feel happy for breaking the world record, but it wasn’t the main goal,” Fugen told the Gulf News. “We’ve been dreaming about BASE jumping from this special place, this unique place for three years now.”
The duo donned bright yellow wingsuits that enabled them to really fly until they pulled their parachutes, which slowed them down and allowed for a safe landing.
“This was my best jump by far,” Reffet told news.com.au after the jump. “It was a dream come true.”
Reffet and Fugen are part of the “professional flying team” Soul Flyers, which touts itself as a group of sportsmen bound by friendship and a passion for aerial sports.