A 45-year-old man was rushed to the hospital in Millau, Aveyron, after jumping from the Verrières viaduct on the A75 motorway. The base jumper would have badly negotiated his landing, 140 meters below.
A high-risk practice, base jumping consists of jumping from bridges, cliffs, buildings or antennas.
Despite the prefectural decree prohibiting the practice
Since May 2022, a prefectural decree has prohibited base jumping from the Millau, Verrières and Viaur viaducts, due to the significant risks for practitioners. A ban sometimes defied by lovers of this discipline.
On November 29, 2022, a 32-year-old base jumper killed himself by jumping from the Millau viaduct, one of the highest bridges in the world (270 m high). His parachute had not opened. He died instantly.