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Over the Falls in a Kayak

By Miss Cellania in Sports, World Records on Jul 27, 2009 at 11:39 pm


22-year-old Tyler Bradt plunged over Palouse Falls in eastern Washington and set a world record for a kayak descent. The fall was 186 feet, which he covered in less than four seconds.

As rescue teams waited at the base of the falls Bradt calmly steered his fiberglass kayak into the raging water.

After disappearing under the water he emerged within six seconds with his broken paddle and sprained wrist.

‘Considering the waterfall, the injuries were pretty minor,’ he said.

The previous record for a kayak descent was 127 feet. Link -via Unique Daily


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COMMENT
  1. Johnny Cat
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 12:15 am

    I'd say he set a record for the stupidest stunt attempted. Amazing he survived.

  2. Dave Hall
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 12:34 am

    What a Freaking Moron!!

    He is lucky to have survived. Had he been hurt, the nearest hospital with an ER is almost an hour away by ambulance. IF the ambulance happened to be there. The Palouse Falls is about 35 miles from anywhere. The main reason he tried it there is the lack of regular law enforcement patrols.

  3. Mytake
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 1:04 am

    This is nothing bt a glamourized suicide attempt. How the authorities greenlighted this is, if they have done so, is a mystery to me. He should get a Darwin Awards honorable mention and, most of all, he should be prosecuted for his moronic stunt.

  4. freightgod
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 2:04 am

    I am filled with love and peace for all humankind and animals. However, I wish this man had died.

  5. Foreigner1
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 2:28 am

    ...And now please let the next record-seeker try Angel-Falls in Venezuela with a clear drop of 2,647ft to set that record once and for all so no idiot will need to go at that also.

  6. seb
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 4:19 am

    This has some balls.

  7. Skipweasel
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 4:36 am

    I bet the world fell out of his bottom.

  8. ted
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 6:38 am

    As dumb as going over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

  9. Mic
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 7:20 am

    You can watch the video of this world record, here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AD8OgLgZ4I

  10. marishka
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 9:14 am

    I was going to comment, but I think everyone else here said it just as well, particularly freightgod. Oy.

  11. dash
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 10:59 am

    I feel like he didn't even think this stunt through. Nevermind the danger of landing wrong - I can deal with that, as that's what danger stunts are about. However, he should have known better than to go down while holding the paddle in his hands. I'm surprised he didn't break both wrists. He should have had it attached to the side of the boat with a quick release to pull out only after he had reached the water.

    It's such a minor thing, but missing the minor stuff is always proof that someone hasn't thought something through properly.

  12. Phos
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 1:12 pm

    Almost all of you are a bunch of wussy naysayers. Woe be to the clucking do-gooder who acts as scaredy-cat-by-proxy. Think of how many fewer deeds of derring do would be attempted—and successfully completed—if that spineless attitude was adopted by those who dare to push the known limits.

    I applaud this "freaking moron" for doing something that's never been done. From the article it sure sounds like he has the experience, and did his research.

    There were many people on record who declared Columbus, Magellan, the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright Brothers, the astronauts, and many other pioneers the equivalent of "freaking morons" too, in the language of the day.

    I sure wouldn't have done what Brandt did, but then I don't have his set of experiences. I have pulled off a few amazing things though that I was told shouldn't be attempted. The toughest thing was to not rub the naysayers noses in the doody afterwards.

    BUCK UP, YA BUNCH OF SOFTIES!!!

  13. Dave Hall
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    Phos:
    I bow to your superior intellect and reasoning. You are right--the man is a pioneer. I cannot wait to see how all humaity will benefit from his monumental discoveries in hydraulucs and gravity.

  14. Kalel
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 2:16 pm

    A kayak? No.

    But I might go over the falls in an airplane.

  15. mikos
    Jul 28th, 2009 at 8:14 pm

    I think most people here are simply jealous that they'll never have the balls to do something like that...

  16. Sam Saturday
    Jul 29th, 2009 at 10:06 am

    You can have "balls" and a brain, too. These two things shouldn't be mutually exclusive.

    I wish there were some way that the perfectly functioning and healthy body of a brainless thrill-seeker could be given to a person who is disabled.

  17. Kato
    Jul 29th, 2009 at 10:28 am

    Thank you "mikos" and "phos", I can see that at least some people here are not totally ignorant. Tyler Bradt is an experienced kayaker and had trained and prepared for the decent. Just as a gymnast, skydiver or even football player; he is a professional in his sport. And to respond to "Dave Hall's" comment about benefiting humanity, Tyler and co. are traveling around the globe in a bio-fuel only truck educating people about alternative energies. So what are you doing to make the world a better place???

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