Daredevil's Latest Flight Does Not End Well

Franky Zapata says he's fine after he and jetpack plunge into lake in France
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted May 30, 2022 7:22 AM CDT
Daredevil's Latest Flight Does Not End Well
File photo of French inventor Franky Zapata flying on his jetpack 'flyboard.'   (Steve Parsons/PA via AP)

French daredevil and inventor Franky Zapata became world-famous in 2019 when he flew across the English Channel on a self-designed jetpack he calls a flyboard. His most recent flight ended with a scary, unplanned plunge into a French lake, though the BBC reports that he is "recovering well." Zapata was putting on a show at Lake Biscarosse when his flyboard appeared to spin out of control and sent him plummeting into the water from a distance of about 50 feet.

You can watch a clip of it here—know that while Zapata ended up in the hospital, he is now making light of the miscue. It's a "reminder that humans are not birds and if we are not at our best, gravity wins," tweeted the 45-year-old, as translated by the New Zealand Herald. He did not elaborate on what went wrong or on any injuries, saying only that he is "fine." The BBC describes his device "a kind of surfboard powered by four micro-turbines" that can reach speeds of nearly 90mph. (More daredevil stories.)

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