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'Jet Man' Ends Up in Drink

Thanks to parachute, wing and pilot seem intact

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 25, 2009 1:14 PM CST

(Newser) – Swiss daredevil Yves Rossy wound up swimming today after a botched attempt at the world’s first intercontinental flight on a jet-powered wing. Rossy, the self-styled “Jet Man,” had intended to fly from Africa to Europe, launching himself from a plane over Tangier. But about 15 minutes later the plane lost sight of him in a cloud bank.

He was found in the sea soon after. Organizers say the wing had an unspecified malfunction, though it seems to have survived the descent. Rossy deployed his chute and seems no worse for wear, but he’s headed to the hospital anyway.

[Images (2)]

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Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy floats near a fishing boat after ditching in the sea Wednesday Nov 25 2009 while trying to fly from Morocco to Spain on jet-powered wings. (AP Photo/ Webtel. mobi)

Yves Rossy flies over the Alps in Bex, Switzerland in this May 14, 2008 file photo. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)

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Swiss daredevil pilot Yves Rossy ditches into the sea while trying to fly from Africa to Europe using his homemade jet-propelled wing. (Reuters News)

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'Jet Man' Ends Up in Drink