French skydiver Vince Reffet, who was a member of the Jetman Dubai team, famous for its mind-blowing tricks with jetpacks and carbon-fiber wings, has died in a training accident in the United Arab Emirates.
Videos of the 36-year-old’s stunts often went viral. His groundbreaking feats included flights with engines strapped to his back that took him along Dubai’s waterfront and over the Alps.
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The tragedy occurred on Tuesday, when Reffet was training in the desert outside Dubai’s city center.
The details of the fatal accident have not yet been revealed, as the police are still carrying out investigations into exactly what happened.
“It is with unimaginable sadness that we announce the passing of Jetman pilot Vincent (Vince) Reffet, who died this morning, 17 November, during training in Dubai,” Jetman Dubai spokesman Abdulla Binhabtoor said.
“Vince was a talented athlete, and a much loved and respected member of our team. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who knew and worked with him.”
Reffet shot to internet fame with his jaw-dropping aerial stunts, which were widely shared on social media. In 2014, he set a world record with his base jump off the Burj Khalifa, which, at 829.8 meters, is the world’s tallest building.
“Everything we do is something new,” Reffet told AFP in an interview last month. “We have so many dreams, and life is so short.”