Base mettle

Mar 22 2009 by Mike Kelly, Sunday Sun

BASE jumpers had been keeping an eye on the Burj Tower since construction began in 2004. But nobody had tried it because security would be tight and the ramifications of Sharia law if they got caught might be dramatic.

Despite Dave’s fears, the Burj was “the big one” and six weeks later he and Herve arrived in Dubai for the jump.

Complete with hard hats, dayglo jackets and, on Herve’s part, fake ID claiming him to be a “high-speed descending elevator specialist”, they carried out a daytime recce of the site.

Using evasive tactics and pure front they managed to spend 40 minutes in the building putting the final touches to the planned jump.

Dave of Darlington, County Durham, said: “We knew the entrance, the route, where we going to jump from, where we were going to land and where we’d land if something went wrong. You have to work out a plan of action and try to eliminate all problems.”

They went back to their hotel and after an agonising two-day wait for the wind conditions to calm they were good to go. It took them an hour and a half in stifling heat with 25kg back packs containing their rigs to get to the 166th floor, zig-zagging down and up stairs each time they heard the voices of workmen.

The minutae of their preparation meant they knew what time the sun would rise and, just as importantly, when morning prayers started and finished — out of respect they would not jump during these prayers — and the moment arrived.

After Herve got into his wing suit, which would allow him to jump out and float away from the building before opening his chute, they checked each other’s rigs for a last time and with a “3-2-1” they jumped.

Because the building was so high Dave waited an unheard of 10 seconds before pulling his chute. Even after that time, his body plummeting at the fastest it could go — so-called terminal velocity of 125mph — even then, he was at the height of a skyscraper.

He said: “I looked over and saw Herve still flying in his wing suit. Then coming into the landing area I noticed an apartment block and a guy in his dressing gown having coffee on his balcony. He looked at me, stunned. I said ‘good morning’ then arrived at the landing area.”

Near to exhaustion, he went to where the car had parked, but it had gone. Then there was a shout from a security guard and the chase was on

Running down an alley he was confronted by another security guard. Cornered, he charged at one of them and luckily the guard backed out of his way and he managed to find Herve circling the compound in the car, looking for him, and they got away.

Dave said: “I just felt total relief. There wasn’t jubilation or excitement. I just felt a bit flat. Went back to the hotel and slept, then we went out. I had two sips of wine and I was legless.”

Then Herve, whose ambition was to fly 360 degrees around a building in his wing suit before opening his chute, decided it could be done at the Burj Tower and decided to do it again. This time he was caught. From the police station he sent an urgent text for Dave to get out of the country.

An urgent call to his brother in London for help led to him being booked on a flight out of Dubai to Heathrow within the hour.

Within hours news of his feat had gone round the world on bulletin boards. Now it is one year on and the memory is still fresh. “It was like conquering Everest,” said Dave.