Latest news with #deathdiving
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Shock moment daredevil's ‘death dive' cliff jump world record attempt ends in horror as 21-year-old rushed to hospital
THIS is the shocking moment a daredevil's attempt to break a cliff diving world record turned into a terrifying brush with death. Dramatic footage shows Vali Graham at the top of Minnehaha Falls in Minnesota, psyching himself up for the big jump. 6 6 6 6 The 21-year-old was seen flexing and yelling before hurling himself off the edge of the 139-feet cliff — the height of a 13-storey building. Just seconds later, Graham hits the waterhole in a tight "pike" formation, but instead of surfacing victorious, he is knocked out cold on impact. Left unconscious with a shattered body, Graham sustained a burst eardrum, fractured vertebrae, a broken sternum and a fractured skull in the brutal fall. The Newcastle local, who is a fan of døds — or 'death diving' — had been attempting to beat the current freestyle cliff dive record of 136 feet held by Swiss diver Lucien Charlon. Miraculously, Graham later revealed on social media that after regaining consciousness, he managed to pull himself from the water. He hiked almost a mile to reach his car, where friends rushed him to the hospital. He posted: 'Update: 'God gives us the gift of suffering' after sending this monster 42.5m [139ft] cliff I was knocked unconscious. 'After regaining consciousness I pulled myself out of the water and walked a steep 1.2km [0.74miles] out to our car where my friends took me to hospital. The thrill-seeker had surgery on his back and sternum, but said he was walking again just two days after the operation. Horrifying moment daredevil who yanked crocodile's tail is MAULED by beast as it mangles his arm with 5in razor teeth 'Back at home now, on my feet and grateful for life, good friends, family and God," he continued. 'A set back is an opportunity to show how bad your (sic) really want it and I am honestly mentally feeling amazing, ready to rebuild my body better than ever and come back stronger, a long way to go but excited for the journey.' While some fans applauded his spirit, others slammed the post for not thanking the medical staff who saved him. One user commented: 'Why, in that big caption did you not thank the doctors a single time? 'Lots of thanking god but not the humans that actually operated on you.' Another asked: 'What about the healthcare staff who actually treated your self-inflicted injuries … it definitely wasn't 'god'!' A third said: ''Grateful for God' dude you jumped from the height of a 13 storey building and now my taxes have to pay for your dumb choices.' The stunt has also reignited concerns about the extreme nature of døds diving, with some questioning how close the sport is to fatal limit. 'We are approaching the first 50m 'døds'/'death dive', slowly but surely,' one fan noted. 'Someone is probably losing their life in the pursuit of the world record.' It comes as a spate of wild and reckless daredevil stunts have sparked global headlines for all the wrong reasons. In Namibia, a crocodile attacked a man who yanked its tail, mauling his arm with its 5-inch teeth. Security guard Simson Paulus, 41, ignored repeated warnings to leave the injured 10ft Nile crocodile alone — and was almost dragged into the water in front of horrified onlookers. Meanwhile in the UK, a man dressed as a wizard performed a wild somersault down a hill in the annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling competition in Gloucestershire. The wannabe record breaker, known only as 'Tye', launched himself downhill in pursuit of the 7lb Double Gloucester cheese — only to crash hard, landing flat on his back in front of a stunned crowd. 6 6
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Daredevil's world record cliff jump attempt ends in horror injuries
A young adrenaline junkie has landed himself in hospital after jumping off a 42.5 metre cliff in an attempt to beat a world record. Vali Graham is a keen participant in døds — an extreme sport also known as death diving — and on June 11, attempted to break the current record from the top of Minnehaha Falls in the Blue Mountains. In pre-jump footage, the 21-year-old is seen yelling and flexing in a bid to get ready for the giant leap before him. Throwing himself off the cliff face, Mr Graham is captured freefalling for mere seconds before hitting the waterhole below in a 'pike' formation – knocking himself unconscious and sustaining a burst eardrum, fractured vertebrae, sternum, and skull in the process. Days later, he took to social media to thank 'God', his friends and family for a miraculous recovery. 'Update: 'God gives us the gift of suffering' after sending this monster 42.5m cliff I was knocked unconscious,' the Newcastle local wrote. 'After regaining consciousness I pulled myself out of the water and walked a steep 1.2km out to our car where my friends took me to hospital. 'The support was amazing, I've had surgery on my back and sternum and was walking 2 days after surgery,' he said. 'Back at home now, on my feet and grateful for life, good friends, family and God. 'A set back is an opportunity to show how bad your (sic) really want it and I am honestly mentally feeling amazing, ready to rebuild my body better than ever and come back stronger, a long way to go but excited for the journey.' Many, however, did not share the same sentiment on Mr Graham's setback, instead commenting on why he did not mention the doctors that had cared for him and performed the lifesaving surgeries. ''Grateful for God' dude you jumped from the height of a 13 storey building and now my taxes have to pay for your dumb choices,' one social media user said. Another added: 'Why, in that big caption did you not thank the doctors a single time. 'Lots of thanking god but not the humans that actually operated on you.' 'What about the healthcare staff who actually treated your self inflicted injuries … it definitely wasn't 'god'!' a third wrote. 'God didn't give you that suffering, you did that yourself,' a fourth said. Others expressed concern for the safety of the sport itself. 'Insane, you walked 1.2km with all those injuries … you do what you love, but a little caution here and there is very healthy man,' one fan commented. 'We are approaching the first 50m 'døds'/'death dive', slowly, but surely,' another said. 'And I'm pretty sure we're reaching the upper limit. 'Someone is probably loosing their life in the pursuit of the world record/breaking new barriers.' The official freestyle world record is currently held by 23-year-old Swiss diver Lucien Charlon at 41.7m.
