Base Jumper Stuck on Cliff Calls Lover, Falls to Death

A British base jumper spent three terrifying hours stuck on an inaccessible cliff face on the Greek island of Zakynthos before falling to his death. The 41-year-old jumper, whose parachute became snagged after winds blew him back onto the cliff he had jumped from, phoned and texted his seven-month-pregnant girlfriend as he awaited rescue, telling her not to worry, and suggesting she go sunbathing, the Telegraph reports.

“He spoke to her on the mobile, told her everything that happened," before the rock broke loose and he plunged to his death, said a police spokesman. The fire brigade, a navy patrol boat, and other rescuers tried but failed to save the man. Base jumping, in which people with parachutes or wing suits jump from buildings, bridges, or cliffs, is often described as the world's most dangerous sports. By some estimates, one in 20 base jumpers die while taking part in the sport. (More base jump stories.)