Fayetteville, West Virginia, Oct 16: More than 400 people took the ultimate leap on Saturday, jumping off the New River Gorge bridge in the US State of West Virginia.It was the 32nd annual Bridge Day Festival - the only time when it is legal to base jump off the bridge.The structure spans 267 metres (876 feet) over the river.
"Man, the thrill is just coming out here and being able to legally jump off a 876 foot bridge. You know, we can't do this in the United States like we want to and to have 450 jumpers from 12 countries and 39 states is just amazing," said event coordinator Jason Bell.Officials say the base jumpers free fall for only a few seconds before deploying their parachutes.
They then glide down for less than a minute and land in the New River.Hundreds of thousands of spectators were expected to attend the festival.There have been a handful of fatalities in years past but none recently.
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