The Infamous Eiffel Tower Death Jump of 1912

"Eiffel Tower Death Jump"
Franz Reichelt, an Austrian-born French inventor, made a living as a tailor while dedicating his free time to developing a flying parachute suit specifically designed for airplane pilots. During Reichelt's pursuit, airplanes were a relatively new invention, having been flown for the first time in Kitty Hawk in 1903. At that time, the mechanics of how a pilot could escape a damaged plane were still being refined. Initially, Reichelt conducted successful tests using dummies, which led him to bravely test the suit himself. In a daring act, he jumped off the lower level of the Eiffel Tower. Tragically, the 187-foot fall onto frozen ground resulted in his instant death.
Further reading: en.wikipedia.o...
Original upload: March 31st, 2020
Footage from February 4th, 1912
Since the release of this video, a new and improved version of higher quality, with the correct aspect ratio, has been uploaded.
Updated upload: November 4th, 2023
Updated link: • Video
Copyright Disclaimer:
Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statutes that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

[@Godbluffer]

The long hesitation before the jump is one of the most agonizing things I’ve ever seen, knowing what is about to happen. 😩

[@moosewhizzerdave2066]

Same. Except I didn't know the story, so while I kind of suspected....it was still a bit jolting to see; obviously and immediately hopeless.

[@BigChungus-zg6zw]

Yeah that's tension that you can't produce with a script right there.

[@secondchance6603]

It's almost as if he was having second thoughts but felt he had to go ahead with it and while some find it funny, if it wasn't for men like him we'd still be sitting in caves wondering, what if?

[@moosewhizzerdave2066]

@@secondchance6603 I had that same sensation. The second thoughts thing was real, and difficult to watch. Some of the devices people were trying in that era were kind of laughable by today's standards, and probably then as well, but you're right - their intense human curiosity is the same intense human curiosity that takes place when there is a success. We are all of us standing upon someone else's shoulders, and that includes a whole lot of people who tried and failed.

[@80iesDude45]

First, I thought he is going for a test jump into the Seine river before jumping from the tower. He better should have.

[@jondoe6273]

That thing didn't even look like it would almost work.

[@vitomarchino]

Unfortunately at the time he probably didn't know what he needed for it to work. Aeronautical knowledge was very primitive and as unfortunate as it is, his tests helped eliminate some bad designs. Sort of like Edison's thousands of attempts at a lightbulb, people made 100s of attempts at flying machines before the Wright Brothers had success

[@defense200x]

@@vitomarchino how about having at least some safety precautions lol

[@BlueEyes-WhiteDrag0n]

@@vitomarchino what about using dummy, instead of being one

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@vitomarchino could have tossed a dummy with the same weight to check it out

[@shiquillabell5841]

Now I totally agree I am not a scientist but I thought the same it looked like it wasn't gonna work period

[@JGunit]

It's haunting to see how hard he was breathing before the fatal plunge. Can't belive he went for it

[@Mike_Hughes]

Wasn't breathing much after arriving at the ground... The Di*khead.

[@brandenburg2388]

Looking down from that height would have made a man's heart pound 150 beats per minute.....

[@Mike_Hughes]

@@brandenburg2388 500!, - just before he did the face plant...

[@heru-deshet359]

That was his breath in the cold air.

[@BellefontePerson]

First base jump ever and it was recorded better than most failed jumps today. Camera man stayed right on target.

[@SeriousSchitt]

Up until about the 1970’s ‘most’ people who had access to video equipment were professionals who’d studied videography very hard and underwent extensive training. Now, in today’s cheap ass, throw away society, well, every phone has a camera and not many know how to use them.

[@Xalashaska]

@@SeriousSchittoh boohoo

[@SxSxG666]

​@@SeriousSchittI'm already happy when they record horizontally ;)

[@SeriousSchitt]

@@SxSxG666 Absolutely.

[@thorbjornhansson4520]

@@chopitup-cm8qiSure he was 🤪

[@mikekennedy4572]

Although this happened long ago, it still happened and took this man's life. I kniw this was an old film, but I silently still wished he would step back and not jump. May he rest in peace.

[@willoughby1888]

I love the spirit you have and shared with us. If your kind words for someone who died tragically and is 'long gone' have even effect, even on one single person, then maybe they'll somehow be able to share more 'heart' with ten others, and then them ten others each themselves.

[@lil_old_man202]

look at it this way, everyone in that film is now dead. but at least ol' franz went out with a bang.

[@paulcrisp9861]

​@@lil_old_man202even a parachute wouldn't have saved him, poor soul. 🙄🙄😭 Aug twenty three

[@cristianhcm1914]

Well said

[@willoughby1888]

He even "left his mark" in the world. And on it too! His mark in life was a good 9" maybe.@@lil_old_man202

[@leomathlein3658]

He probably realized before the jump that it wasn’t gonna work, but the pressure of all these people watching him forced him to do it. Hella sad tbh

[@sy_dianne5224]

I think he knew he was committing suicide

[@iquiteverything7922]

That’s exactly what I seen, he was thinking twice but the pressure was too much

[@lanchanoinguyen2914]

it's not worth to waste your life for that.But at least he became the first man whose death to be filmed.

[@robertnovoa341]

There should never be pressure so much as to cause you to commit suicide then that's basically making those people that were watching him bullies. I have an inkling he really thought that this was going to work I don't think he had any thought in his mind of killing himself. He did have a parachute I think his hesitation might have been not initially fallen from that chair he was standing on along with the side rail. Poor man may he continue to rest in peace🥀🕊️ But I have to say this is the very first time I see someone actually kill themselves or plummet to their death. 😣

[@alinfazakas2467]

Yeah, blame others for his stupidity

[@briant7265]

He simultaneously invented the wing suit, base jumping, and the Darwin Award.

[@TheBlackbelair]

[@GBURGE55]

Like that!😂

[@fidelcatsro6948]

only the Darwin Award of 1912 was later atributed to him..

[@BobanVagene]

Lol!

[@chairlesnicol672]

@@fidelcatsro6948 The Darwin Award only came into being circa 1985 ish,officially beginning 1995 on the internet, I believe,but nothing like that in 1912 sir!

[@cedricgilson8843]

The suit couldn't handle the weights of his balls

[@lorenabonin1963]

😮

[@petersparrow5321]

For sure your balls must be way bigger than your brain.

[@2000PiecesPuzzle]

No, it couldn’t handle the weight of the rock he had instead of a brain

[@MrPjtmac]

Well said

[@davidjorgensen877]

@gumbo7215 "Such an original comment." - It's original in this application, as the "big balls" trope is generally applied to successful feats of risk, whereas outcomes like this are generally served the unoriginal "Darwin Award" trope. In short, your sarcasm is misplaced, so the fail is on you.

[@guitarfan01]

I don't think I've actually seen someone die on youtube before...

[@JMartinez351]

Or Budd Dywer

[@SafeBurrito5465]

Or jfk

[@JMartinez351]

@@SafeBurrito5465 i can't find that amymore

[@SafeBurrito5465]

@@JMartinez351 if it’s not on KZbin try looking it up

[@adoscz9812]

Or Ayrton Senna

[@nrrdgirl805]

Everything in his being is telling him not to jump and that's why it took him so long to do it. How tragic. He should have listened to his gut.

[@nrrdgirl805]

@Guinevere But he'd be alive... What a shame to put Pride first.

[@onlyechadtherebellious2467]

@Guinevere avoiding to go into major depths of danger to please others should be an a priori thing. No one should be made fun of just because they value their own life than a simple show.

[@alkaholic4848]

@Guinevere He'd only told people he was going to throw a dummy off. They wouldn't have allowed him up there if he'd admitted he was planning to throw himself off. So he didn't really have much to fear about his reputation - just throw the dummy as everybody was expecting.

[@peterpretzington9669]

Funny that y'all think social pressure isn't killing all of us off slowly or faster

[@Terelon]

He should've followed the second thoughts wholeheartedly, who cares about the backlash, you only get one life, they'll be alright, just ignore the bullies.

[@michaelswords4416]

You can see him hesitating.

[@guilhemesouza9702]

Sim Yes Si

[@GangStalker17]

He was fighting every ounce of instinct

[@robinhood1969phonykingssuck]

I wish people would hesitate more often before getting on an airplane!! Safety is our number one priority > step onto this rocket! lol

[@rayhankazianga6817]

@@robinhood1969phonykingssuck air travel is the safest mode of travel available today but k

[@nighthawk82]

@@rayhankazianga6817 if you look at the more important statistics about this topic air travel is only the 3rd safest after railway transport and buses. the stats the mainstream presents to you are pretty much deluding. although true in some aspects (like deaths / distance traveled) not true in the more important ones about how you actually feel about it in most cases and what you actually want to know. of course spending 30 min traveling by train is safer than 30 min traveling by an aircraft. you cannot compare having 2 flights a year to your daily traveling routine. in that case planes are very safe. obviously.

[@marklavertue461]

I've read Franz's story and he was definitely a man of ambition, and in some ways strong headed in his refusal to accept that his invention would likely not work. It's disturbing and inspiring to see Franz hesitate as thoughts race trough his head and then summon up enough courage take the leap. Success might have brought local fame and maybe even monetary income, failure was almost certain death! It's in these moments that human nature is either viewed as intensely brave or incredibly foolish or perhaps both. Either way, at least Franz lived his story and his story lives.

[@balduínoshalom]

E simples! Era ver um passarinho...ele tem asas...e pode voar, e nos humanos não fomos feitos com asas!!!

[@KingInfernagon]

Its his hubris that caused his death in the end 😢

[@mchapman1928]

The fall only took 2 seconds. He was dead instantly. Sad, but a prime example of ego overpowering logic.

[@paulatiredofthisshit]

Raced through his head. Ambitious and strong-headed? Reminds me of that submersible.

[@EpsilonSparda]

@@balduínoshalom Você é um gênio da Tasmânia.

[@BG_KD]

Sad to see a man with such a mustache go like that

[@Huh.1766]

Yes

[@Huh.1766]

Yea it’s sad

[@chrisrattray8958]

But he did wear his peaky blinder!

[@BG_KD]

@@chrisrattray8958 great show and a great comment

[@Hans_van_der_veen]

Yes, the man is not interesting... but his mustache... Yeah, what a reaction...

[@Alexa-xl1gi]

These comments are really funny but this is also kinda sad. Imagine how scared he must have been when he realized it wasn't going to work.

[@Frankiigii]

It probably was thankfully brief at least. RIP

[@FootballFury]

i do kinda feel a little sad. That being said, he didn’t have to do it.

[@oscarmurillo9524]

lmao

[@Alexa-xl1gi]

@OWEN GLATCZAK now all I can think about is him saying "bruh" right before he hits the ground😭

[@blackpanda7612]

@@Alexa-xl1gi 😂😂😂😂

[@DrakeShaw04]

When you skip the tutorial in a video game

[@guilhemesouza9702]

Kkkkk

[@soullessprincess6473]

Frr

[@fadeboi4701]

Lol 😂

[@Prxcticed]

🤣🤣🤣

[@aliensaretrans4211]

Imagine joking about someone's death

[@JustMe-vz3wd]

Jokes aside, one moment of respect for this innovative and brave guy who dared to test his own invention.

[@saucevc8353]

No respect. He had already tested it with dummies and the results were clear: the wing suit didn’t work. But instead of trying to improve it before moving onto human testing, he made the dumbest decision ever.

[@bort-]

Let's not glorify suicide

[@Bootmahoy88]

@@bort- We're not glorifying suicide, we're indicating stupidity.

[@ilovebeinagirl]

Um, no.

[@thorbjornhansson4520]

@devil95003May be he should have invented that in the first place

[@CarlWithACamera]

You know what that parachute suit needs? A parachute.

[@tifferz5173]

He shakes his head before he jumps, like he knew it wasn’t right. I wonder how scary that was, standing on a stool by the side of a building. Very sad :(

[@BennyHendrixx]

Where do you see him shaking his head ? I don’t see it.

[@herrscherofgachapain6342]

1:15

[@Terelon]

He should've followed through with whatever hesitation he had and backed out, sure there would've been backlash and embarrassment but he still would've been alive!

[@Druggy-Doggo]

He was probably thinking a nice riverbed or a giant mattress would’ve made much more sense before jumping

[@manuelkong10]

they say he was being told not to jump....he could have been shaking his head to That

[@FTL3478]

Something that i couldn’t help but notice was his breathing. It was 0°c that morning, and you can see vapour coming from his breathe pretty much the entire time. Right up until about 5-10 seconds before his jump. The vapour stops. He literally held his breathe, and took a leap of faith. My heart goes out to this man, may he forever be at peace.

[@jantyszka1036]

I thought that, too: his last breaths.

[@curiouslyme524]

Agreed.

[@lukemallory7832]

Well observed - I had noticed the fast breathing but not that it stopped.

[@lil_old_man202]

he should have waited til summertime. at least then he could have taken advantage of favorable warm upward drafts.

[@curiouslyme524]

Agreed. He was very brave. RIP 🙏.

[@Geno5]

The guys measuring how deep his body sank into the soil were from the Guinness book of world records. Ironically, he still holds that record today.

[@MattS_Filmography]

Record of what? How deep your body can sink into the ground? I'm confused lol

[@cincyfanjunglecity9871]

Are you sure ? What about the people who had to jump from the twin towers in New York ?

[@zeebas1014]

@@MattS_FilmographyThe depth of the crater/hole made by his body hitting the ground, I assume.

[@bustaroqz]

who would go for this record?

[@concept5631]

​@@bustaroqz You wouldn't. Guinness doesn't condone those kind of records anymore.

[@omghaley]

i’m here cause i had to see what mr ballen was talking about. no lie that he really rocked him self back and forth before jumping. oof

[@kni8x_yt449]

Same

[@sweatyoldman]

I knew about it before hand but I never knew the full story until Mr Ballen’s video.

[@talksicfuk5672]

Same

[@xitlalievans4336]

Mr.Ballen fan too!

[@-Bellana-]

Same

[@Neko.091]

Fun Fact: This dude actually had a lot of advance warning before he took the leap, both from his friends and from experienced pilots at the time. He was so confident in his own work that he kept on going even after he jumped off a building with this thing and broke his own leg. He only hesitated right at the end.

[@elliothuh669]

He should hesitated a little further and not jumped off. But again we are in 2023. What he has on resembles more of a wingsuit that base jumpers use. . He should of jumped from the very top of the Eifel tower and then had an actual real parachute to save his life. Then he could of gaged how well it worked too bad.

[@Myspicyshart]

@@elliothuh669I’m pretty sure what he had on was the closest thing there was to an “actual real parachute” in those times 🤣🤣

[@polymath72427]

​@@Myspicyshart they had real parachutes since the beginning of the 19th century

[@altheadawn2531]

​@@Myspicyshart lol 🤣🤣

[@christopherstein2024]

@@Myspicyshart A dummy with a real working parachute was thrown off the eifel tower a year before this.

[@adambane1719]

According to Wikipedia (yes I know) he had a heart attack on the way down. He had tried throwing dummies off of a 5 story apartment building before this but the parachute never consistently worked. He made adjustments but never re-tested after changing the suit. Also apparently nobody knew he was going to jump himself until he showed up and told everyone he was going too. They had a contest to build a low altitude parachute at the time and other people were throwing dummies off of the Eiffel Tower trying to win it. Everyone tried to talk him out of it but pride got the best of him. Then they tried to talk him into wearing a safety rope so that he would be more or less bungee jumping off of it. He refused. It was also a very windy day unexpectedly to them at least so they tried to at least convince him to post pone until the next day. He refused to do that because he had already written the newspaper telling them that he had finally figured this out. Basically, he built an inconsistent suit that very unreliably worked. Then he made major alterations to said suit (more than doubled the span of the parachute among others), never bothered to test said new suit, told one of the largest cities in the world that it worked (again he never tested the new suit with even a dummy) went to the tallest structure in the world at the time, jumped off of it in front of a massive crowd with police crowd control in bad weather after everyone had told him not too, then bragged on himself in front of everyone on top of the tower, jumped and died. Progress comes at a cost I guess but pride and arrogance cost this guy his life...

[@JustMe-vz3wd]

not sure if i agree with your "pride and arrogance" explanation. He was simply driven and ambitious and wouldnt want to live life without trying to realise his dream. respect.

[@ScoobyandShaggy5554]

@@JustMe-vz3wdit was pride

[@atin4353]

​@@ScoobyandShaggy5554definitely pride 💯

[@tysontaggart7246]

​​​@@JustMe-vz3wd That is the most asinine justification for a man accientally killing himself out of pure hubris that i have ever seen. It was absoutely pride. Stubborn, stupid pride. If he wasn't prideful and actually wanted to succeed, *he would've actually tested his suit properly.* He wouldn'tve rejected using a safety rope, he would've used a dumby like everyone else instead of his own body. This man's crowning achievement and the only thing anybody remembers his for, is this video of him accidentally killing himself. There's nothing here to respect, unless you wanna pay your respects to his grave.

[@roboi2241]

Maybe they could have wrestled him to the ground and had him arrested on psychiatric grounds when if previous tests on dummies had failed he had no business in playing Russian roulette with his life in which metaphorically speaking 5 barrels of the revolver are loaded. I guess that was a case of taking liberte egalite fraternite a bit too far.

[@porkrindsmcsnacky]

I am gonna explain the whole story oversimplified. Franz Reichtelt was a tailor and inventor. What I have learned and understand is that this man was in an era where everyone wanted to fly. What Franz had created seemed to resemble an early wing suit that you see when you jump off a plane in a call of duty match. So unlike what people said in the newspapers and other media, he wasn’t necessarily a f##king idiot and was on to something. Early tests with dummies actually kind of worked because they weighed like 100 pounds and glided down. However because of a bet from some guy he had to make a more compact design. The entire design was to make sure that when shitty planes would break down a man could jump out and glide safely with “wings”. However due to the terrible materials and it literally not working he got frustrated. Something snapped and realized that throwing plastic dummies out of a window was a problem when they weren’t working and breaking on impact. Duh he should throw himself instead, so he did it at one point and survived after falling from like 30 feet. Not because his invention worked, but because he landed on straw. He tried again a second time and broke his leg. Then he realized “wait a minute, I’m not falling from high enough place” and decided to jump from the Eiffel Tower. However the French government denies him, for a whole year he tries to convince the government to let him until finally they let out a big sign and say “fine you can off ur self”He gathered friends and other people to film him, people gathered to see the event, police held people back. The police thought he was just gonna throw dummies but instead was gonna throw himself. While after his death the police claimed they would have stopped him if he was gonna say that he was gonna jump off and not a dummy. He actually states to everyone that he will in fact, jump off. When he is going up the tower a security guard stops him because this is obviously stupid, but eventually lets him go. When he is at the top he does a wind test and yeets paper to see if the wind is blowing which it in fact is. Then he finally after a minute of having his life flash in front of his life, jumps 187 feet off the tower. Many things happen that aren’t immediately shown on film. First off, the wind, bad wind helped kill him. Second, the suit itself, the suit did not deploy properly and instead folded him like a blanket of death. Third, a subject not brought up often is the temperature. It was in February and therefore still winter, this made the soil harder than concrete. If it was in a different season he could have maybe just maybe survived. This can be proven because in the year 1964, a woman fell off the tower at a similar height and landed on a car. She survived. When Franz landed he fell so hard it created a crater in the ground. Even with all of this being all said and done it’s possible he suffered a heart attack while falling, however it happened so quick that the heart attack didn’t have time to kill him. The saddest part is that it was all in vain, a dude LITERALLY a year earlier invented the parachute that worked. I know the writing is a little bit messy but the point is that this story was f##ked up and really depressing and disturbing. This man tried creating something that was already a failure and went to extremes. However even though he was treated as a madman he wasn’t entirely wrong. The wing suit is a concept that literally exists and works, it’s just he didn’t have the materials and knowledge on how to properly create it. He stuck to his dream to the very end. I hope this awful massive paragraph helps you understand the event more and on its backstory, Rip Franz, ur an Angel now. 😔😢 Fun Fact or sad fact The Death of Franz Reichelt was the first recorded EXISTING recorded death. What that means is that it’s the first recorded death of film that still exists. The actual first recorded death was some guy being hung in a public execution in 1897. However because 10 minutes of footage is a lot and film preservation technology wasn’t exactly the best at the time the film is lost to history. Photos from the film exist to prove it actually happened, but the film itself is lost to time. I forgot the name of the guy who was being executed, he like killed children or something, so just Google that instead.

[@kristentindle3075]

❤ I couldn't stop reading your response until the very end! So very well written thank you for sharing the whole story.

[@Thetruth-yr8nl]

​@@kristentindle3075exactly

[@n.r.a4933]

Thanks for the great information…did you try to write a book or an article…your why of writing is very captivating 🙏

[@colinlatham7905]

Not a Fn idiot 😂.then goes on to list why he was 😮. Priceless irony

[@thomasc9248]

A year „earlier“ like you said or did you meant a year later? If there was an existing parachute that worked before him, why did he go for it?

[@Greenpoloboy3]

Though sadly all the people in this recording are long gone, you still have sadness knowing the pain his death brough upon his loved ones and friends. Seeing his last moments, you just wish he hadn't done it

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

Even the babies still in the uterus are gone

[@CarlosHernandez-bp4ul]

Wow. This comment makes me feel like crying. There are deaths in the thousands weekly but this death is really made dramatic by this comment.

[@TerrorMau5]

speak for yourself, i wanted him to do a frontflip.

[@RMJ1984]

To put that into more perspective. There are only 50 or so people alive from 1912... Everyone else is dead.

[@majorwedgie8166]

You gotta admire his courage and dedication.

[@rjlchristie]

Not when coupled so closely to stupidity.

[@Lot_2023]

You also gotta admire morons that admire such morons.

[@baritonebroker]

I don’t think so. This was just stupid. Repeat it 12 times with dummies until it’s a 99% certainty before getting in yourself.

[@kingwinter2024]

Stupidity is what he had and that is nothing to admire about.

[@jakeg3126]

I don’t get why you are getting disagreement comments. I agree, he tried so hard to do it and yet dumb enough to have the balls and confidence to do it trusting his own invention. Although it said it didn’t deploy, so maybe it did work

[@samuelcolton4173]

The comments are kinda funny but I actually feel bad for this guy, he looked super scared. Rip Franz

[@Septiviumexe]

Regardless of the horrible fate this man endured, his dedication and guts are beyond legendary

[@rafaelbianchi4115]

Stop romanticizing the dumbness and stubborness of those guys.

[@Leo_Valdez]

@@rafaelbianchi4115He was trying to make a parachute that worked better than the ones used at the time. This was something that other people didn’t know how to do. He needed a human to test it because a dummy didn’t weigh the same as a human.

[@rafaelbianchi4115]

@@Leo_Valdez haha

[@15packman]

Yeah…..I have zero aeronautical training of any kind, but can tell there is zero probability this heavy, bulky , canvass looking monstrosity of a suit could possibly fly, or glide down …..zero chance that anything could happen except the invariable splat!@@Leo_Valdez

[@conservativepatrioticstrai5218]

​@@rafaelbianchi4115stop romanticizing ignorance. It was rarher pressure that prompted him so

[@wallride2wallride]

I read this story today; Here to add a little bit of context: - he tried a lighter version of the "parachute" with dummies, and worked. - he tried an heavier, more complex version of it to be used with humans and never worked at first. The structure weighted over 70 kg. - he made it lighter and tried again with dummies. It is reported that only in a single case the dummy did not crash the ground. - he tried himself from a barn. He crashed on a hay cove, breaking maybe a leg. But safe. He saw that he need more air time to manouver the parachute, so he thought he needed to jump from higher. - the day he jumped from the tower was 0°, freezing chill at 730 in the morning. Literally everybody there tried to dissuade him from jumping. The tower guardian was even trying to close the gate. - the police expected he should throw a dummy, not a real person down the tower. - he looks scared, and in fact probably he was. The autopsy stated that he died from heart attach before touching ground. - as someone in the comments pointed out, all the people related to this sad episode died, but his memory is still somehow remembered. My personal thought: feel very sad for him. Watching a man dying on YT is kinda creepy. History will remember you both if you fail miserably or succeed terrifically. Us to decide the price we are willing to pay. I believe the poor Franz, in the end, was aware of his end but agreed to pay the tool for his memory.

[@elpollodelamuerte2550]

where did you get the info about a heart attack? I can't find anything to verify that. it's very rare for someone falling to die of a heart attack before they hit the ground. in this case there is not really enough time to have a heart attack or even die from asphyxiation

[@wallride2wallride]

@@elpollodelamuerte2550 "Édouard Launet, writing in the Summer supplement of Libération in 2009, mentioned that an autopsy concluded that Reichelt had died of a heart attack during his fall." from wikipedia but also google "Franz Reichelt heart attack" for more info

[@hazardeur]

@@wallride2wallride yeah, an autopsy from a 100+ years ago vs a 5second heart attack. i wonder what's the tright track here

[@wallride2wallride]

@@hazardeur idk, I just reported the info I have without any endorsement.

[@JoyJoke]

That’s even sadder to think he had a heart attack before crashing to the ground. Does that mean he died midair, since the fall would have killed him instantly?

[@nisemiso1422]

R.I.P. Franz Reichelt 🙏🏽

[@andredeketeleastutecomplex]

rest in pieces for sure

[@Boranx1]

Kafasız adam

[@talksicfuk5672]

Not even a landing pad or any means of cushioning the fall...just straight to the turf...and then come along these guys to measure his indentation 🥴

[@kr00k3d100]

@Reehan Baitali That was the police statement made to cover their own asses.

[@Suzuha_Amane]

@@kr00k3d100 why should the police be held accountable 🤦‍♀️

[@sambda]

I don't think a mattress would have helped.

[@talksicfuk5672]

@@sambda what about a bean bag chair?

[@LouLope]

One of the many who died so we can enjoy flying and taking it for granted. Rest in peace, Franz.

[@thesnackbandit]

How so? It was a completely pointless death. Parachutes were invented well before and worked reliably too.

[@LouLope]

@@thesnackbandit It evolved into wingsuits and better understanding of aerodynamics.

[@thesnackbandit]

@@LouLope It didn’t. He didn’t have to die for this. Even his tests with dummies were unreliable. Of course it is a tragedy that he went through with it, but it’s not like his demise paved the way for wingsuits or anything.

[@rawrrii1020]

no, not at all actually..

[@altheadawn2531]

He was not that guy Stop

[@sweatyoldman]

Not gonna lie, the song in the background is kinda terrifying considering the video it’s played over. It’d probably be scary to me even if it wasn’t played over this.

[@cryoman4144]

wdym its so relaxing

[@sweatyoldman]

@@cryoman4144 idk it’s just music from the early 1900’s kinda freak me out.

[@cryoman4144]

@@sweatyoldman kinda weird i find this song very beautiful and etherial i mean the title is "Songs my mother taught me" so that might make you not fear the song as much

[@sweatyoldman]

@@cryoman4144 Idk maybe.

[@cryoman4144]

@Marty mcfly idk it just is, why wouldnt it be relaxing? it siunds so good and calm

[@SupBro-ww9go]

I am grateful for his sacrifice for the future of parachute safety, but i feel bad for the fear he must have felt

[@MrPotatoBoiii]

Two days before what happened in the video, Frederick R. Law jumped from the Statue of Liberty with a parachute and succeeded, so Reichelt's death was completely unnecessary.

[@haanis5458]

He didnt sacrifice himself for anything. He died because of his own ignorance and stupidity. He had all the warning signs in the world that told him that this would never work. He broke both his legs while trying the suit once. The stupid man is being credited as a hero who sacrificed himself for science, but in reality he had way to much confidence in himself. That stupid idiot.

[@thesnackbandit]

What are you talking about? The parachute was invented and worked reliably well before this.

[@crazyleyland5106]

The post mortem showed that he had a heart attack on the way down.

[@jakendriajenkins3902]

@@MrPotatoBoiii and seeing as he was supposed to just use the “dummies” and decided to be the practice dummy himself…..id have to agree very unnecessary

[@razorshedge5150]

I think the music made him want to kill himself.

[@richardmartinez5032]

Now we have gliding suits! These are the men who risk everything to advance the threshold of civilization, technology, and the overall catalog of scientific knowledge! I wish Franz were alive today to see how far his idea has evolved. Rest in peace, Franz!

[@4thegloryofthelord]

I wonder if those gliding suits could’ve saved those that fell to their deaths on 9-11. I hope there’s a way to get them to be more accessible, and cheaper- especially for those that work in very tall buildings.

[@noskills5874]

Franz was a mad person, he tested his invention with dummies and it didn’t work, and yet he chose to do the jump with the same suit in winter with far below optimal conditions. His idea and sentiment were great, his execution was just horrible

[@WindowsDrawer]

@@4thegloryofthelord I think providing a suit for every single person in a skyscraper isn't possible. Also, you would have to train them on how to use it, since without any training they would have probably flied into some building and crashed just like the plane that crashed into their building lol

[@CarlosHernandez-bp4ul]

My life for civilization? Nah!

[@TripleXMango]

Unfortunately for Franz, a man from the Soviet Union actually invented a working wearable parachute a year prior to this. His death was completely in vain.

[@timothyprice3264]

Part of the problem also was he jumped vertically. You can see him hesitate then jump off but it looks like he meant to jump horizontally hence so the wind would catch under his suit

[@BlueEyes-WhiteDrag0n]

Yeah, either way his suit would've been torn apart because of the wind

[@Icarus931]

Yeaaaaah..... the wind failed him.....

[@Suzuha_Amane]

but at least he should have put a soft material on the ground, better being injured than dead

[@TheNorgate]

Not sure th what would have been the difference

[@Heavymetalstonie420]

That still wouldn't of worked the suit was basically just a big ass coat if he would of done it like the flying suits we have now probably could of glided down

[@bartvaneschannel]

110 years later people are using similar suits to jump of the mountain cliffs many times higher than Eiffel tower and they make it safely to the ground... If he only be able to see them.

[@dougkenny6548]

Some of them are up there with him.

[@JustMe-vz3wd]

Imagine, if that test would have been a success, he would have been the respected inventor of the wingsuit.

[@juliebraden6911]

@@dougkenny6548 sure but not because of that

[@dougkenny6548]

@@juliebraden6911 like I said, some of the people who choose to risk their lives flying wingsuits, base jumping etc. lose them. I guess they don't count because they didn't jump off the Eiffel Tower?

[@dave9351]

They ALL have parachutes they deploy 2000 AGl

[@daiemawtptp1058]

For anyone wondering, the song is Antonin Dvorak "Gypsy Melody Opus 55 no 4 - songs my mother taught me"

[@fra9873]

👍

[@Bruhental]

THANK YOU BRO

[@geigertec5921]

Crazy part is he was booked to ride the Titanic to NYC later in the year so he was screwed anyway.

[@DrSourPurp]

That's nuts

[@truthdefenders-]

He chose the better way to go.

[@andrewrobinson8305]

What’s your source for that? I can’t find any mention of it anywhere online. Did you just make it up?

[@Baseballify]

This is made up there’s no such evidence supporting these theorey

[@beholdtheman3161]

​@@andrewrobinson8305 He probably did to get LIKES! Our generation live and breathe LIKES!

[@dekkard]

As a fellow Austrian I can confirm: we are good tailors, good inventors, and are very stubborn!

[@playitback8623]

please don't talk for me, my fellow austrian

[@LordVilmore]

good ish inventors :D

[@jamesmacleod671]

But not good at making parachutes.

[@dekkard]

@@jamesmacleod671 Haha! True. 😂 But I hope his death at least contributed somehow to the funtioning parachutes...

[@TheBlackbelair]

I wouldn't mind a tailor-made Austrian suit.

[@BlenderRookie]

I did that with a blanket as a cape when I was a kid. But of course, the shed roof was only like 7 feet high.

[@ass_jay]

I still believe it will work

[@key790]

dude really thought this was the "i fall" tower

[@notmaireelneim]

It was a long time in the past. It is now called the "i fell" tower

[@KnottsBear-yTalesPreserved]

I gotta admire a man who stuck with his dream to the end - even if it was wild. Its so sad that it had to end that way ;(

[@manuelkong10]

a dream or a lunatic fantasy?

[@rayfinkle2805]

I’m sure his family echoed those sentiments

[@leehighland5435]

@@manuelkong10 If you are a woke progressive, you can't tell the difference.

[@dushbag1115]

I wonder what went through his mind when he hit the ground? Probably his ass.

[@dougkenny6548]

Stuck to his dream and then to the ground.

[@mikegan73]

Not in a million years would I do this, even if I new the parachute was 100% guaranteed not to fail. That parachute looks like a bleeding quilt. He hesitates and then jumps rather badly. It's hard to watch.

[@TonyEnglandUK]

lol a quilt or inflatable tent

[@jeroendroideka380]

0:58 that guy on the right '' i dont think you should try that''

[@emajansen]

RIP for Franz and I'm so sorry for those who witnessed the accident, carried the dead body, and had a closed look on the severe injuries, obviously they lived in this trauma all their live.

[@jfklol2034]

0:21 he looked so happy to demonstrate his lil invention bro😭💔

[@therevenger259]

Remember kids, if you're going to do something that may result in your death, don't film it on camera, because 110 years later someone may end up posting this comment.

[@lisabrauer_]

The impact he made on the ground is crazy to me

[@S10Blazen]

He was completely obliterated.

[@tappajaav]

@@S10Blazen Doesn't look completely obliterated at 1:52

[@JustMe-vz3wd]

Wow thats such an .... original joke.

[@TheGrenade_Dude]

Yeah Probably because the ground was freezing cold.

[@superior_ape]

that's because it's from a movie,but the Internet was real​@@tappajaav

Darwin award goes to...........

[@vic7939]

Been recently to Paris 1 week vacation. Went to the Eiffel tower to the top. Great experience. I've seen this video before and was amazed how high was the 1st level of the tower. It's bone chilling.

[@shanegalang2859]

187 feet

[@fidelcatsro6948]

1st level of the tower was where he jumped from? Is the crater on the ground still there?

[@Hanz13171]

​​@@fidelcatsro6948i don't think it's still there since they probably covered it tho I've never been to Paris so idk

[@fidelcatsro6948]

@@Hanz13171 yeah i think so too..its probably gone by now

[@natashatomlinson4548]

I went up in the Tower late April 23. People tend to underestimate how high it is. It was the tallest structure in the entire world until the Chrysler building was built in NYC which barely eclipsed it by mere feet. So that jump from the first level was a major leap for sure .

[@anthonycampos8057]

This man was the definition of balls. He had the courage and an intense belief in himself and his work to do something very dangerous all in the name of innovation and creation. He should be applauded.

[@andredeketeleastutecomplex]

Only idiots would applaud other idiots.

[@anthonycampos8057]

@@andredeketeleastutecomplex this man was working on something that would've potentially saved lives. Go fuck yourself

[@_plutonic_ptii3469]

@@anthonycampos8057 true mate

[@otofoto]

@@anthonycampos8057 We saw how he helped himself. Not practical.

[@andredeketeleastutecomplex]

You don't see ducks lining up and climbing on the Eiffel tower to jump off.

[@peterpeterxxo]

even watching now nearly 110 years later, i'm thinking..noooo don't do it.

[@heru-deshet359]

He was told he could only use a dummy for the test. He did.

[@cryoman4144]

He forgot that his elytra was broken

[@Notrubenn]

Nah it stopped raining

[@makot0]

It's not funny when he died my guy

[@cryoman4144]

@@makot0 ok

[@hootkickkidkickboi552]

True not funny when someone die

[@cryoman4144]

came back to this comment i left 3 years ago and realized what i said was very insensitive of me and that i should not have made a joke about someone dying

[@0Exorcisms0]

You can see how he knew this would be his last. The hesitation :(

[@FushiguroTojl]

he literally didnt though? he was overconfident and believed in his own creation, he was just unsure of a few things. he obviously wasnt expecting that he'd fall to his death instead

[@1stwonder788]

@@FushiguroTojlso he was hesitant lol “ he was just unsure “ 😂

[@FushiguroTojl]

@@1stwonder788 my point wasnt that he hesitated did you even read

[@eglesimartins9734]

Para chegarmos até os dias atuais com tanta tecnologia quantos erros aconteceram inclusive fatais como esse,toda a minha admiração a pessoas que apesar de cometerem erros trouxeram contribuição para a humanidade futura .

[@SKLZWL]

👏👏👏

[@Warriorofallah94]

☝🏾

[@tonystrong2326]

💯

[@danomara3977]

I wonder if he had patented that suit?

[@shanegalang2859]

English- "To get to the present day with so much technology, how many mistakes have happened, including fatal ones like this one, all my admiration to people who, despite making mistakes, have contributed to future humanity."

[@JackieG717]

Out among the stars I sail Way beyond the moon In my silver ship I sail A dream that ended too soon Now I know Exactly who I am And what I'm here for And I will go sailing no more All the things I thought I'd be All the brave things I'd done Vanished like a snowflake With the rising of the sun Nevermore to sail my ship Where no man has gone before And I will go sailing no more But, no - It can't be true! I could fly if I wanted to! Like a bird in the sky If I believed I could fly Well, I'd fly! Clearly, I Will go sailing no more

[@BakersBiscuit]

Legend has it that his cousin, Pierre Bungèe, invented a retracting rope shortly after he witnessed this event.

[@britsune]

Underrated comment 👍

[@zeetty]

Seriously underrated.@@britsune

[@dougkenny6548]

Great comment. There's just so much to work with here. Thought about your comment more after posting the first part of my reply and laughed so hard I was crying.

[@jansser100]

quem veio por causa do the noite também??

[@tyvulpintaur2732]

He certainly made a big impact on the world…

[@ArmyRanger483]

lol

[@rustyshakelford1279]

You crushed it!

[@Gunth0r]

this was no windfall

[@alkaholic4848]

But it wasn't just his reputation that was shattered

[@groupersti]

The ground if nothing else.

[@aalex2606]

Newton was right.

[@staravs360]

Really? R u sure?

[@darreljohnson3644]

Eye witness accounts of the time state that there were buzzards perched in the Eiffel tower girders cheering him on, and he felt compelled to make the jump, despite second thoughts.....

[@alpaa63]

Thats sad

[@SonicTheDarkHedgehog]

I mean I noticed there was a puff of smoke like what happens when the Wiley Coyote falls off a cliff. That really says something👌🏻

[@freaky_galaxies]

I can't imagine the horror of realizing your falling wasn't slowing down.. and you can do nothing but keep falling and your last moments everything flashes before your eyes.. It's over.. and so slowly too.

[@ghffhcdhj6489]

his autopsy said that he died from heart attack during the fall.

[@xkimxangelx]

@@ghffhcdhj6489 Yes, that can and does happen to people when falling to death. In any case, when you're in freefall, you pick up speed very quickly. This guy fell 187 feet - and it only took several seconds.

[@themalacast]

A beautiful tribute to a very brave man. Thank you

[@gracesushmav2191]

If I'd had a TIME MACHINE I would have gone there and stopped him

[@eclipseter3656]

It would be impossible because you would go back in time to stop him so he would of have never died so you would of have never tried to stop him

[@simplyava_yt7927]

Yep true

[@tijaprislan1649]

@@eclipseter3656but she wouldn't have to stop him anymore because she already would stopped him then.

[@wallride2wallride]

actually a lot of people claimed to have tried to stop him, even the eiffel tower guardian. I feel like he was too proud to say no. he looks so scared.

[@gracesushmav2191]

@@wallride2wallride yes who can escape from fate 😓

[@GuardianA-hole]

Fun fact: To this day no one has infringed on his patent

[@dbsti3006]

I doubt anyone was remotely interested.

[@kratoleaf7619]

holy shit...this comment needs a thousand likes....

[@kratoleaf7619]

@@dbsti3006 ya think?

[@romignoni]

His fields of study weren't physics or aerodinamics, everyone told him to not do it but he still did it, a foolish man, but a very good one.

[@kasper7574]

he didn't jump properly, he kind of just dead dropped, no pun intended... evident by the fact that he landed feet first when his invention was supposed to be something like a sugar glider's wings...

[@Tonymontanayayo]

Here’s an Austrian that also took a leap of faith, broke records, nearly died…. But succeeded! Felix Baumgartner’s jump from the stratosphere on a balloon that was sponsored by Red Bull like 15 years ago. He basically jumped from the edge of outer space, lost control halfway but recovered and landed like a champ in New Mexico.

[@221b-l3t]

That was a pretty long way from the edge of space about 1/3 of the way and he had a huge team of engineers designing the whole thing. People did that in the 50s when high altitude baloons where popular.

[@wayneliebl1098]

Man, that was some leap!

[@TheLambdaTeam]

Well, to be fair, the stratosphere is nowhere near the edge of space. It's around the exosphere.

[@INDIGOBLUE555]

Yes,I watched a footage of his performance on YT.I guess he did take a really huge risk but eventually he made it to landing safe and sound. After this jump I guess he had enough of extreme performances and retired.Wise choice....

[@Komotau4691]

As kids we jumped out of Merkur and landed safely on planet Earth with just a t-shirt.

[@wilsondb100]

Me testing if there’s fall damage in a game:

[@andrew_jfjfjfjf]

Yeah say that, totally no dead bodies in this video.

[@felipeleal4516]

Quem veio?!?! Entrevista com Gabriel Lott Campeão Mundial de Wingsuit | The Noite (16/03/21) tmj

[@mapamental6952]

eu

[@murilokenaicoutinho8662]

Eu kkkk

[@mayday2011]

Opa

[@AncientTechnologySystems]

In the end, his contrubtion to humanity would be a 360p video on KZbin highlighting what a total rocket scientist he in fact was not.

[@itsthatkidagain7050]

It almost made me cry cuz the man was just standing in the camera innocently, ready to show his work. Little did he know he was causing his fate.

[@UFOzNoJoke]

If I had a time machine I'd go back to 1912 and give Franz Reichelt a redbull

[@dougkenny6548]

Great idea. Then no need for parachutes. Just place a can in every cockpit and in an emergency drink it and fly safely to the ground.

[@greg8938]

One of the original Darwin Award recipients.

[@modernmind74]

He knew he was going to die, but his statement before climbing up prevented him from backing down. Ego killed that man.

[@nileswillis7992]

Same with the Titan.

[@Mikeyrocksslots]

Note to self: Never jump off a tall structure with an oversized raincoat.

[@pezcebra]

MURIO POR EL SUEÑO DE VOLAR, POR EL INVENTO, UN GRAN HOMBRE QUE NOS DEJO UN LEGADO, MIS RESPETOS

[@JustMe-vz3wd]

Un grande espiritu.

[@pb12661]

wow, that was surprisingly tense. I didn't expect the actual footage!

[@andyr8812]

That wasn't smart. Just "believing" that something will work, without any evidence, is never smart.

[@BlueEyes-WhiteDrag0n]

@@skysolitude bruh, nothing about a dummy being tested beforehand is mentioned in this video, are you sure you ain't spewing some bullshit

[@elleboogie]

@@BlueEyes-WhiteDrag0n This video is literally two and a half minutes long. You can’t possibly believe that all of the backstory is contained within this extremely short time. I have heard the same thing, that he did not take into account his own body weight when jumping, so yes, the dummy (at one point) was successful. Why would that be hard to believe?

[@tequilamockingbird3656]

several billion christians, muslims, and jews would disagree with you

[@owes243]

Wtf they are measuaring the crater of him

[@Hillers62]

Apparently he left quite a dent in the ground...meaning the parachute had absolutely NO stopping effect...

[@daddy5506]

He literally flattened like you see in movies that is bone chilling

[@petcatznz]

Poor man. If the fall hadn’t killed him outright, being carried away like that afterwards surely would have. Saying that, he would likely have perished in the coming maelstrom of WW1 which was only two years away then.

[@ura9390]

He knew it would fail before he jumped but that inner drive to keep going despite the dangers took him over the edge

[@User-be4fx]

Over the Edge reminds me of another incident

[@jamesmacleod671]

​@@User-be4fx did it involve a submarine made from Carbon Fibre going down very dangerous depths to see a sunken ship by any chance.

[@daveericson8447]

Oh you spoke to him before the jump

[@ura9390]

@@daveericson8447 oh he changed his mind and didnt jump

[@valero6981]

@@jamesmacleod671 Nope it involved a pro wrestler named Owen Hart, search the incident up.

[@moradelojoker9962]

saberspark brought me here

[@danielmoran9902]

Unbelievable stupidity. The bit at the end when the onlookers are measuring the dent he left in the ground. Shocking.

[@aidanh3056]

Rest in peace Franz - so much honor and bravery, he had such impressive belief in his work 🕊️

[@watertiteman]

That's the trouble with beliefs.

[@JustReed]

He's was probably reincarnated years ago and passed by now.

[@garyhillman4993]

It’s like the man who invented the shark propellant suit. But nobody would jump in to test it !

[@JuJo3]

Jules lässt grüßen

[@tiedojekmot6891]

Sehr erhabener Geschmack an videos

[@JuJo3]

@@tiedojekmot6891 🧐🥂

[@leoedward7363]

I hope he’s up there loving watching people in wing suits jumping off things. Legend.

[@KanyeKetchup]

Good point

[@tcudahey9550]

He is dead and In Sheol the common grave of mankind awaiting a resurrection. - John 5:28-29.

[@munch762]

He's up there debating physics and engineering with Stockton Rush.

[@adroaldopasqualli-ky3dp]

Portugues

[@kenfrank2730]

I wonder if his wing suit is in a museum some where.

[@russell-di8js]

In the basement of the Louvre?

[@yves2348]

He should have changed his mind @1:35.

[@Josh-zf8bw]

I'm gonna have them play this clip at my funeral in lieu of a eulogy.

[@mayronreolon]

Vim após a entrevista do Gabriel Lott no The Noite 😅

[@JavierBonillaC]

I almost died the same way. I was landing with my parachute, made a very low hook turn and at about 40 MPH I hit a concrete post with my sacrum. Broke my sacrum in 5, both legs, herniated 2 spine discs and 25 big surgeries later, here I am, riding horses. I live with permanent pain though and only with the help of life long pain killers will I function.

[@dad1432]

Thank God you're with us. Sorry about the awful injuries and hope you find complete healing.

[@JavierBonillaC]

@@dad1432 thank you.

[@mpph6102]

He jumped to infinity and beyond glinding to the afterlife..

[@helldronez]

lmao, i heard it as buzz lightyear say it

[@uhohspaghettios9966]

Thats wasn't flying it was falling in style

[@antoniogonzales2420]

You can't hesitate once you've decided to do something like that. Rocking back and fourth before jumping means you probably shouldn't do it