April 28, 2006
Thwarted Empire State Building Parachute Attempt
To be filed in the "totally crazy, harmless stuff that happens on tall buildings": "Renowned daredevil" Jeb Ray Corliss tried to jump off the 86th floor observation deck at the Empire State Building. The only thing is that somebody called in a tip to the police saying this would happen, so security was on the watch and ultimately able to stop him. Of course, Corliss managed to jump over the safety fence and was on the outside, so they had to remove part of the fence to retrieve him! A 15 year old tourist says that she thought he was trying to commit suicide at first and one woman tried to lure Corliss back to the deck with cash. Another tourist told the Post Corliss said, "Look, if you don't let go so I can do this, I'm going to die." The Empire State Building's building manager Timothy Donohue's attitude? "It's New York City, it's rush hour. It is not the time to jump off buildings."
What's somewhat alarming is that Corliss managed to get up to the observation deck with his gear - he wore an elaborate fat suit in order to get in (the fat suit hid his parachute and video camera!) - past the ESB security. When he got to the 86th floor, Corliss changed out of the fat suit (leaving it there) and put on his parachute. But who called in the tip? A rival stunt man with a beef? Anyway, the Empire State Building is 75 - she's seen her share of wackiness (and the lights are white tonight).
The NY Times' City section was all about the ESB's 75 years last weekend - read it before it disappears into archive land. Corliss has jumped off the Petronas Towers in Malaysia; you can see one of his BASE jumping demos at iFilm and he also hosts the Discovery show, Stunt Junkies.
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They should have just let him do his thing. if they couldn't manage to hold on to him, and he fell, he would'nt have been able to get his parachute open...rite?
More pictures of the guy hanging on the side of the building taken from WCBS-AM 880's Chopper880.
http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/29916.php
Two clowns, Australians I believe, did this way back when. Ended up on Letterman the next day as they had a friend video it from the ground. BEst part, after landing, cutting off the chute and hopping into a cab, the cab driver said, "This rides on me".
I read on the WNBC site that they Handcuffed him to the Rail. That had to hurt...
Jen, please don't deep-link to AM New York's popups. They're annoying as all get up because they resize your browser window. And what's so surprising about hime being able to carry a video camera up anyway? It's not like a million tourists a year don't do the same thing. What good is an observation deck if you're not allowed to take pictures? Sure, the helmet shouldn't have made it through, but the parachute wouldn't have set off metal detectors. What do you want, strip searches for all ESB visitors?
Sorry about the deep-link - in the past when I had done that, the photos wouldn't resize.
My issue with security not noticing something was up was why would someone have a helmet with a camera strapped onto it. Daredevil bike tricks? I dunno, I guess security can only do so much and Corliss would have tried to get up there somehow, but it's stunts like this that can make some buildings rethink their policies. Or maybe the ESB will have to get tall plexi-glass guards, a la Top of the Rock.
As BL noted, cameras at the Empire State Building, probably won't get a second notice.
Helmet? maybe he made it look like a Cap or Hat. You know tourists wear funny stuff and he had a fat suit , could be a medical thing. So, the security people didn't want to look insensitive.
What more security should they do? When I see those walk through metal detectors, I try to bypass them and get a security guy with a hand wand for a quick look through my bag.
No problem, Jen. I know I may sound "pugnacious," as Jake put it, at times (and now that I read it, I did sound that way in the entire message above), but I don't really mean to. It's just the New Yawker in me showing through.
not really that "harmless" - he could have landed on someone.
Even if he didn't land on anyone, there could have been serious consequences. He has to land somewhere, and the middle of the street away from buildings would be safer. Except drivers would probably have to stop short to avoid hitting him or might simply get distracted by a guy falling out of the sky. It'd be the same kind of risk if you drove down the street with a naked babe on top of your car. She probably wouldn't land on anyone, but I bet there'd be a collision or two from gawkers. Just an accident waiting to happen. But guys like Corliss never think about potential consequences. They're just in it for the thrills.
Too Funny!! He was the Discovery Channels Host For the show "The Stunt Junkies”!!!
Took the show a little too far...
Not the first, or even second to try this. Two people did it in 1986, and a friend of mine did it in 1989. Nothing was ever said about my friend's jump, which was videotaped and done on a Sunday morning, so few New Yorkers noticed. Never mentioned by the media, either.