Watch Amazing BASE Jump off the One WTC Tower

Christina Drill
March 25, 2014

On September 30th, 2013, at 3 in the morning, three daredevils/cool guys jumped from the top of One World Trade Center and caught all of it on film. The incredible footage has finally been released for the world to see, though the guys who performed the stunt have all been arrested.

The three daredevils, whose names have been released as James Brady, Andrew Rossig and Marko Markovich, completed the jump in September as a tribute to the twelfth anniversary of 9/11. It was not, they have explained, meant to be disrespectful to the victims of the attacks.

The men's lawyers have confirmed that after the footage was seized last month, the men handed themselves in to the NYPD.

BASE jumping is a stunt where participants jump off of a fixed object and use a parachute to break their fall. The altitude at which BASE jumpers jump from is relatively low compared to skydivers who free fall from airplanes 20,000-30,000 feet in the air. BASE jumping is considered a "fringe" stunt sport by extreme stunters, however this does not mean BASE jumping is easy-- in a lot of ways it is more difficult than skydiving because of how little control you have. Since you don't have as much time to fall, BASE jumpers rarely reach terminal velocity and have a far shorter window of time during which to successfully deploy their parachute.

Also, imagine free-falling down into the Financial District. So many buildings-- what if you snag your shirt on something?!

Click here to watch this incredible video.

The three jumpers, plus their lookout partner Kyle Hartwell, face charges of burglary and trespassing as well as two misdemeanors for reckless endangerment and jumping from a structure.

All in all, not a bad deal!