NickDG 23 #1 November 5, 2005 Some of you may remember this incident from three years ago . . . NickD BASE 194 Student Stunt Death Avoidable Friday 4 November 2005 by Emily Gosden http://www.cherwell.org/show_article.php?id=3726 The death of an Oxford student flung to the ground by a stunt catapult in 2002 could have been prevented if further safety tests had been carried out, a coroner's inquest concluded on Wednesday. Kostydin Yankov, a first year biochemist at Wadham, died after sustaining horrific injuries almost three years ago when he was hurled thirty metres towards a safety net but missed it, hitting the ground. Yankov, known as dino, was one of a group of students who were members of the Oxford Stunt Factory and had travelled to Middlemoor Water Park in Somerset to take part in the jump. However the event itself was not organised by the Stunt Factory which is described on its website as a "dangerous and extreme sports club", organising the "co-ordination and performance of stunts - particularly those involving extreme sports - including bungee jumping, street luging, BaSe jumping, firebreathing and skydiving." The club is not directly linked to the University, and is not a society registered with the proctors. David Boston, spokesperson for Oxford Stunt Factory, confirmed that the event dino had taken part in was “organised by an uninsured third-party who was not affiliated with the Oxford Stunt Factory". He added that the Stunt Factory always conformed to "the highest possible standard of safety possible". “Dino’s friends, family and all of the club’s current members are relieved that the affair is now closed”, he added. Reports in 2002 said that onlookers had voiced concern that previous jumpers had only just reached the net and four students successfully completed the leap from the medieval-style catapult prior to Yankov’s fatal jump. Oliver nelkin, who would have been next to be catapulted, said he became alarmed that the jumpers were landing at the very front of the 10 metre by 20 metre safety net rather than in the middle as intended. In a statement he told the inquest that the first jumper, Paul Capsey, "landed on the net, but more to the front edge than I had seen before. For a split second I thought he was not going to make it and I felt relieved when he did." Nelkin described Yankov's jump, saying, "at some stage I saw dino as a ball in the air. He then missed the safety net, but I couldn't say by how much. as he hit the ground I heard a thud and then a second thud." Yankov broke his legs and spine on impact, sustaining multiple abdominal and chest injuries. He was rushed to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol but died later that evening. Jurors at the inquest were told that a rope used to help fire the mechanism, known as a strop, had been changed on the day of the incident but had not been tested. The coroner's verdict stated, "The accident would probably have been prevented if a further set of tests had been performed after changing the strop." Aprivate paramedic who was employed for the day had become concerned about the landing positions of the first jumpers and raised the matter with richard Wicks and david aitkenhead, who designed and operated the catapult. Prior to Yankov's jump the weights on the catapult mechanism that control the length of the jump were altered. Capsey, who helped with the operation of the catapult following his own jump, told the inquest that each jumper was weighed, weights on the catapult adjusted accordingly and a test weight the same as the jumper fired to check for any problems. Capsey said that all safety checks were completed before Yankov's jump. Wicks' partner, Stella Young, was seriously injured in a jump on a prototype of the catapult in May 2000, breaking her pelvis in three places after bouncing out of the catch net. Young was responsible for weighing Mr Yankov before the jump and warning him of its dangers. She described the stunt as "a very, very dangerous thing to do." Wicks and aitkenhead were cleared of manslaughter over the death last year Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #2 November 6, 2005 Jean Marc Mouligné's catapult works and has already been thrown at 130m high... And YES, his BASE rig deployed correctly. There is a thread in french on the FBA websitescissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #3 January 12, 2006 it works... http://steph.para.free.fr/JT_catapulte.wmv cross posted from the BASE forum... If someone can upload it on skydivingmovies....scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
