Daredevil leaps out of a hot air balloon at 24,000 feet into hurricane-force winds to become the first person to skydive through the jet stream
- Swiss skydiver Marc Hauser took to the skies above Forbes, Australia
- He successfully launched himself from the balloon into winds of up to 86 mph
- Marc’s achievement has now been recognised by Guinness World Records
This is the heart-stopping moment a daredevil jumped out of a hot air balloon at 24,000 feet in an attempt to set a world record.
Swiss skydiver Marc Hauser took to the skies above Forbes, Australia.
He successfully launched himself from the balloon into 86 mph winds to become the first person to skydive into the jet stream – but it was not without its challenges.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=CCXjf-cvLuQ%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1
This is the heart-stopping moment a daredevil jumped out of a hot air balloon at 24,000 feet in an attempt to set a world record
Swiss skydiver Marc Hauser took to the skies above Forbes, Australia, before successfully launching himself into 86 mph winds to become the first person to skydive into the jet stream
Marc spent several months planning the stunt with his team including pilot, Steve Griffin, and another experienced skydiver, Tomas Goulburn.
In the clip, the trio clamber into the basket of the hot air balloon and begin their ascent in time to watch the sunrise.
But after climbing to a height of just over 22,000 feet they soon begin to experience problems.
The temperatures dropped drastically, reaching levels as low as -40C, which froze the oxygen mouth regulators for Steve and Tom.
Marc is continuing his descent as he soars high above the ground with horizontal speeds of up to 168 mph
He opens his parachute and swoops gently to the ground but as he lands he is unable to see the balloon in the sky
The apparatus gets stuck open which means oxygen is being pumped out constantly rather than being supplied with each breath.
It puts them in danger of losing all oxygen before they can complete the flight but they continue with their climb nonetheless.
What is the jet stream?
The jet stream 24,300 ft (7,400 m) above sea level.
It is a continuous, high-altitude, fast-flowing air current.
The winds often reach speeds so high that commercial airlines can cut trip times and even save fuel when flying through it.
The stream can be extremely dangerous and the average temperature is -40C.
To add to their problems, the temperatures have also caused the fuel to freeze which has led to the balloon burners flaming out.
The group frantically tries to relight them with a hand-held blow torch but as the air in the balloon canopy cools they begin falling at a rate of 1,100 feet per minute.
It means that they won’t be able to climb any higher and so Marc is forced to jump from where they are.
Suddenly he launches himself from the gangway and begins to free-fall through the air.
Steve and Tom are left to battle with the engine for a few tense moments before they finally get it burning once again.
The pair breath a sigh of relief and high-five each other knowing they are now out of danger.
Marc is continuing his descent as he soars high above the ground with horizontal speeds of up to 168 mph before opening his parachute.
He tumbles forward as he eventually reaches the ground and lands in a field but is unable to see the balloon in the sky.
Marc did not break his own speed record but he was awarded the title of being the first man to jump into the jet stream
Speaking afterwards to Guinness World Records , Marc said: ‘I was worried about my two friends in the balloon because they were in great danger’
Speaking afterwards to Guinness World Records, Marc said: ‘After take off everything went fine and we had a beautiful sunrise but 30 minutes later at 7,000 m the problems started.
‘I knew I had to leave, we were not prepared to have such kind of stress!’
‘I couldn’t concentrate on my first task of speed anymore and at the same time, I was worried about my two friends in the balloon because they were in great danger.’
He added that: ‘After my landing I was searching for the balloon, I had about 15 minutes on the ground.
‘I was desperate and I didn’t care about any record and then the relief came.’
Marc did not break his own speed record but he was awarded the title of being the first man to jump into the jet stream.
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