BASE jumpers condemned after unlocking Blackpool Tower window for illegal stunt
Three BASE jumpers have sparked widespread condemnation after unlocking a window on the viewing deck of Blackpool Tower and leaping 380 feet to the ground in front of shocked families and schoolchildren.
The trio, who filmed the stunt on head-mounted cameras for social media, used what Blackpool Tourism described as a 'specialist tool' to discreetly unlock one of the secured windows on the observation platform. The jumpers, who joked they were 'window inspectors' as they prepared to leap, sailed over the town's powered tram lines before landing on the Comedy Carpet artwork below. One jumper, who performed the stunt without a helmet, appeared to misjudge his trajectory and landed on the roof of a nearby former Woolworths building.
Lancashire Police are investigating whether the jumpers broke the law by posing as paying tourists to access the viewing deck. The historic tower, which opened to the public on 14 May 1894 as the tallest man-made structure in the British Empire, was inspired by Paris's Eiffel Tower and contains 2,493 tons of steel and 93 tons of cast iron in its construction.
Blackpool Tourism, which operates the 518-foot landmark, issued a sharp rebuke to the jumpers. 'While the footage may give the impression that they were able to open a window with ease, this was not the case,' a spokesperson said. 'All windows at the top of the tower are securely locked. However, the individuals brought a specialist tool which enabled them to discreetly unlock one of the windows. This followed failed attempts at several other windows.'
The organisation added that the stunt 'created an extremely dangerous situation that could have had catastrophic consequences for both those involved and members of the public', noting that the jumpers parachuted over a busy promenade and active tramlines.
Legal grey area
The three men have been identified as 41-year-old web developer Louis Harwood from Cleethorpes, 37-year-old plumber Matt Oldham from Bacup, and 28-year-old Cambridge student Theo Featherstone, a former member of Imperial College London's skydiving club. They are part of a group called Let's Make Stupid Decisions (LMSD), which films BASE jumps for social media exposure.
While BASE jumping itself is not illegal in the UK, accessing sites without permission can lead to charges including trespassing, with offenders sometimes prosecuted under the Vagrancy Act or local bye-laws. In 2018, a man was fined £400 at Hull Magistrates' Court after posting a video of urban explorers climbing the Humber Bridge, and the bridge board has prosecuted others who attempted similar stunts.
In a statement, LMSD organiser Mark Schroeder, an Armed Forces bomb disposal veteran, defended the jump. 'Safety and meticulous planning sit at the absolute core of everything we do,' he said. 'Contrary to claims that this jump created an unexpected or uncontrolled hazard, this project was planned meticulously far in advance by experienced professionals.' He denied that any windows had been damaged during the stunt.
A deadly pursuit
BASE jumping, which stands for jumping from Buildings, Antennas, Spans and Earth using a single parachute with no reserve, is widely regarded as one of the world's most dangerous extreme sports. According to a peer-reviewed study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, BASE jumping has a fatality rate of approximately one death per 2,317 jumps, making it roughly 72 times more dangerous than skydiving. Between 1981 and September 2017, the online BASE fatality list recorded 327 fatal jumps, with an average of approximately 50 fatalities occurring globally each year between 2015 and 2020.
Jumpers typically leap from heights between 300 and 1,000 feet, though the lowest recorded jump was completed by celebrity daredevil Felix Baumgartner in 1999, when he leapt 95 feet from the hand of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.
Last month, BASE jumper Andy Lewis, known for his appearance in Madonna's 2012 Super Bowl half-time show, died during a tandem jump at Mineral Bottom, Utah. Lewis, 39, and his 68-year-old client Danny Joe Kregle were killed when their shared parachute failed to open. Lewis, who ran a business giving inexperienced jumpers tandem rides, had remarked in an interview last year that it was 'weird to think about how many people are dead, because it's like a normal thing' in the sport.
Previous stunts
The LMSD group has previously attracted attention for other unauthorised jumps. In March, two unidentified members climbed the ropes of the Humber Bridge before leaping from the top, appearing to taunt authorities by referencing the bridge's reinforced security measures. Other videos show the group jumping from the Clifton Suspension Bridge after being confronted by a security guard, and from Manchester's 600-foot Trinity Heights tower in January last year, when the building was still under construction.
Reaction on social media to the Blackpool stunt was mixed. Some users criticised the jumpers for what they saw as a selfish act. 'Your stunt, while brilliant, will cost them money and time and probably change their policy,' wrote one commenter. 'Bag searches, insurance costs, and fitting window locks etc. It all has an impact.' The group responded with a snoring emoji.
The viewing deck at Blackpool Tower, known as 'The Eye' since reopening in September 2011, is managed by Merlin Entertainments, which also operates other attractions at the site including the Tower Dungeon. During World War Two, the tower was used as a radar station, taking advantage of its height in an otherwise flat area.
Lancashire Police confirmed they are conducting enquiries into the incident. 'Anyone with information or footage to assist is asked to call 101 quoting log 0569 of 19th July,' a spokesperson said.
