Man Killed Jumping Off Burney Falls Identified
The 30-year-old man was visiting from Laguna Niguel, California
On Friday, July 6th, a 30-year-old man attempted the very dangerous and illegal stunt of jumping off of the 131-foot Burney Falls. After hitting the water, the man did not resurface, forcing a diving team to go into the water and recover the body hours later.
Related:Â Man Dies Jumping Off Burney Falls
The man killed in the stunt was identified as Elliott John Miller of Laguna Niguel, California. It’s still unclear what the exact cause of death was or why the man was visiting the area from Orange County in Southern California.
The cliff jumping world was struggling from the news. Professional cliff jumper Nick Coulter, the man who successfully attempted the jump a few years back, vowed to provide more safety disclaimers while promoting the sport. Here is what he wrote in an Instagram post:
For those who don’t know, someone passed away last weekend jumping this waterfall. I can’t help but feel terrible about it. This jump is still very vivid in my mind. Seeing a white wall close in behind me right before entering a wormhole was unreal. The impact was HARD. I can only imagine what was going through his mind before impact. PLEASE BE SAFE. Have people in the water. Wear a life jacket. Train for these heights. It took me years to build up to this height. Don’t take shortcuts! Expect to see me and the crew be more proactive about disclaimers in future videos.
The area near where one would jump off the waterfall is heavily marked out of bounds. The jump is not only very tall, but it is also very difficult for any jumper to get out far enough to avoid the rocky surface below the water at the bottom of the falls.
It was a truly tragic scene at the Eighth Wonder of the World and a reminder to any adrenaline seekers to avoid the jump, as not many people have actually pulled it off.
