View our amazing frame-by-frame gallery here
This is the breathtaking moment a ‘tombstoner’ was caught on camera diving 100ft off a cliff.
The unnamed daredevil was pictured as he leapt head first from the top of the towering rock face near Penzance, Cornwall.
He hurled himself through the air and fell between 96ft – 100ft before landing in just 20ft of water below.
The stunning images of his dive from the top of the cliff were captured on camera by Alastair Sopp.
The 25-year-old photographer said he spoke to the ‘tombstoner’ shortly after he made his death-defying jump in June.
He explained he’d made the dive after studying tide and weather charts for weeks but it still took a while to pluck up the courage.
Alistair, of Penzance, said: “It was a breathtaking moment. I couldn’t believe he jumped from so high up.
“I went and saw him down below where he said a lot of planning had gone into it, visiting on different tides, waiting for weather, and diving down to check depth.
“He said it was a calculated risk. It took him a while to compose himself and stop his legs shaking before being confident enough to make the leap.
“He told me he’d hurt his ribs and he probably won’t jump it again.”
The craze of tombstoning sees people jump into the sea from cliffs, sea walls and piers – but has been linked with several deaths.
A coastguard spokesman said: “He is lucky to be alive. People need to be aware of the dangers associated with tombstoning.
“It is extremely dangerous and when it goes wrong it can have devastating results.”
The first known tombstoning fatality in the UK was Stephen Royston, 24, who jumped 100ft (35m) into a water-filled quarry at Kit Hill, Cornwall, in 2003.
View our amazing frame-by-frame gallery here
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
