Tourist dangles 23 stories above busy street in 'reckless' daredevil stunt

A spine-tingling rescue unfolded in New Zealand this week after a tourist's parachute became snagged on a luxury hotel, leaving the man dangling 23 stories above a busy street before his eventual arrest.

The tourist, a Belgian national, was attempting to BASE jump from the 27th floor of Auckland's Hotel Indigo when his parachute became caught on the building's exterior.

BASE jumping is an extreme sport that involves parachuting from fixed objects, including buildings, bridges and cliffs.

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The incident took place at around 10:42 p.m. Tuesday night, police said.

The 22-year-old man has since been charged and is scheduled to appear in Auckland District Court on Oct. 27, according to police.

The rescue came at a steep cost, with firefighters forced to smash a glass panel worth about $20,000 New Zealand dollars (about $11,400 USD) to reach the stranded tourist.

"Fire and Emergency New Zealand were able to free the man. However, the building suffered damage to the exterior, and guests staying at the hotel had their evening disrupted due to the event," Inspector Grae Anderson, the area commander of Auckland City, said in a press release.

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"In order to reach the man on the outside of the building, a glass panel worth approximately $20,000 had to be smashed."

Police reported that the tourist was not injured and did not require medical treatment.

Anderson said investigators believe the tourist was the same person who filmed himself BASE jumping from another Auckland building in September that was under construction. 

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"We do not condone this type of behavior," Anderson said. 

"It is reckless and poses risk[s] to the person jumping and those on the ground."

Inspector Anderson said he hopes this incident will make anyone else thinking of repeating these types of stunts reconsider.

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"In this case, the man not only needed rescuing, but paying guests [at] the hotel had their stay impacted, and expensive damage had to be caused to facilitate that rescue," Anderson said. 

"This is unacceptable, and, now, instead of leaving New Zealand and carrying on with his travel plans, he will stay here and face the consequences of his actions."

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Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, received roughly 2.3 million international visitor arrivals recorded at its airport in the year ending November 2025, according to a report from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the region's economic development and tourism organization.

BASE jumping can involve jumping from natural formations, but the activity is generally prohibited in U.S. national parks without authorization, according to the National Park Service (NPS). 

While there are no regulations specifically addressing BASE jumping, the activity is "generally prohibited by NPS regulations" but may be permitted after a park planning process, the agency said in a 2024 memorandum.