Vince Reffet, one of Dubai’s ‘Jetman’ teams, who often perform stunts using special suits and carbon fiber wings, was killed in an accident during a training session here.
Previously, the Frenchman often performed dramatic acts by flying in the Gulf country city, including around the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, and flying alongside the world’s largest commercial aircraft, the Emirates Airbus A380.
The announcement of the death of the 36-year-old man was confirmed via Jetman’s official Facebook page yesterday.
“It is with unimaginable sadness that we announce the passing of Jetman Pilot, Vincent (Vince) Reffet, who died this morning, November 17 during training in Dubai,” the statement said.
The accident was reported at Jetman base in a rural desert and is currently under investigation.
“Vince was a talented athlete and a much-loved and respected member of our team. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who knew and worked with him,” the statement added.
Reffet previously won several gold medals in the free-flying skydiver competition and competed as an extreme athlete sponsored by Red Bull.
Reffet’s action earlier this year went viral on Youtube where a video showed him flying to 1,800 meters (m) into the air, off the coast of Dubai.