By Charlie Carmichael-
A daredevil jumped off a crane in Oxford city centre in a brave act of extreme sport.George King, also known as the Shard Climber, is well-known on social media for his death defying stunts climbing public buildings.
Mr King, enthused onlookers when he climbed the crane near Oxford Castle and Prison before leaping from it with just a single parachute to save him.
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He was participating in an activity known as BASE being an acronym (Building, Antenna, Span and Earth), which describes the four broad groups of objects which participants jump from with a single parachute attached to them, risking a deadly crash because of the absence of a parachute
BASE jumping is significantly more hazardous than other forms of parachuting and is widely considered to be one of the most dangerous extreme sports.
The 22-year-old said: “Oxford my birth town was also the start of my urban climbing journey as a kid. Taking on small climbs around the city, it christened my love for urban freesolo.
“I feel such an overwhelming sense of privilege and fulfilment to come back at 22 with a BASE rig, jumping in aerial solitude amongst the dreaming spires.
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“This jump has given me more fulfilment than any other jump I have done.
“A real sense of self-actualisation.”
He added: “Not only is this the birth place of my urban climbing journey. But also the birth of everything which makes me. Friends. Lifes Ups and downs, memories, experiences, all started in this very small but personally significant city.
“I struggle putting into words what it feels to return to my hometown and experience it in this way. It’s really hard to articulate why that’s so special to me.
“There’s a nostalgic feeling I will forever feel when walking down broad street knowing that at one point my body has been in aerial no-man’s-land down that channel.”
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