Flyboard stunt flops: Franky ‘rocketman’ Zapata (43) injured after crash in French lake | Abroad

The Frenchman is no stranger to a stunt. In the summer of 2019, Zapata crossed the Channel with his flyboard, a kind of surfboard with jet engines underneath. During the French National Day, he took full notice by flying his invention above the military parade.

This weekend he was seen at an event in the French town of Biscarrosse, in the southwest of the country, but things went wrong there. Images circulating on Twitter show Zapata spinning immediately after takeoff. He quickly gains altitude, but comes down just as quickly.

The Frenchman fell from about 15 meters into a lake. According to French media, Zapata was conscious when he was pulled from the water. He was taken to hospital. The nature of his injuries is not known, but the man is said to have “recovered well”.

Zapata – a French folk hero – is also called “the flying man” among our southern neighbors. He developed and built the flyboard himself. This rig can reach 140 kilometers per hour and is propelled by four engines with a combined power of 1,000 horsepower.

This weekend’s fall is not Zapata’s first accident. A first attempt to cross the Channel literally fell into the water in 2019 because the stuntman fell into the sea while refueling. Even then, Zapata was left with nothing from the crash.

The “flying man” would normally perform several times in Biscarrosse this weekend, but according to mayor Hélène Larrezet, the other shows have been cancelled.

Franky Zapata (40), the French folk hero who learned everything on Google: “I want to be Iron Man”, and he learned to fly †

‘Flying soldier’ ​​of French holiday now also wants to cross the channel †