Pictured: The ultra-dangerous death-defying 'tombstone' leap from a 75ft cliff

13 April 2012

This is the moment a man leapt off a 75ft cliff into the sea in the latest shocking example of the ultra-dangerous tombstoning craze.

The film was made by a friend who can even be heard shouting a warning – 'It's stupid, it's stupid, Patrick' – seconds before the stunt on the North Wales coast.

Idiocy: The tombstoner leaps from the clifftop

Idiocy: The tombstoner leaps from the clifftop


In the clip, posted on video-sharing website YouTube, the jumper can be seen narrowly missing the cliff edge, plunging into the water and disappearing under the surface.

Seconds later he emerges apparently unhurt.

A clip of the stunt, believed to have been filmed off Anglesey, was posted online alongside footage of two other similar jumps.

The jumper barely misses battering himself to pieces on the rocks

The jumper barely misses battering himself to pieces on the rocks

He straightens out ready to hit the water

He straightens out ready to hit the water

The clips, entitled Cliff Jump in North Wales and since removed from YouTube, provoked angry warnings from rescue organisations whose members have been called to deal with serious injuries and deaths caused by so-called tombstoners.

Emergency service chiefs warned that people were putting their lives at risk.

North Wales RNLI spokeswoman Danielle Rush said: "Tombstoning is seen as fun by some, but a number of people have been left so badly hurt they will never walk again.   

"It can be difficult to tell the depth of water as you look over the edge onto the surface. Remember the tide can go in and out very quickly, so while the water can be deep during parts of the day, it can soon become shallow.

"Remember also that younger children might look up to older ones, so if they see others jumping, they might do it as well."  

Splashdown: The clip shows the leaper disappear into the sea

Splashdown: The clip shows the leaper disappear into the sea

Coastguard spokesman Fred Caygill drew a sharp line between tombstoning and coasteering, where experienced and properly equipped climbers scale seacliffs and occasionally fall back into the sea below.

He said of tombstoning: "This is a very dangerous activity that causes many deaths and serious injuries each year, and it is not recommended unless conducted as part of coasteering and under close professional supervision."

The latest images have emerged a month after two men in their 20s were paralysed after tombstoning in Whitsand Bay, Cornwall, and at Southsea Pier in Hampshire.  

Last month a Daily Post investigation found film clips of people jumping into rivers and quarries from the heights above.

One showed teenagers being encouraged to jump backwards into the River Dee at Llangollen, Wales. Another showed a person jumping 30ft into a river at Llanberis.

Grant Mitchell, of Holyhead-based Anglesey Adventures, said coasteering, as jumping off rocks into the sea is known, was safe if properly supervised.  

He said: "I wouldn't encourage people to do it on their own. We have 30 years experience and everything we do is assessed for safety, and helmets and buoyancy aids are always worn. The depth of the sea changes from hour to hour and local knowledge is vital."

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