Craigyhill bonfire parachute jump completed by professional in aid of two important causes

The man who was videoed parachuting from a bonfire in Larne is a professional base jumper who completed the challenge to raise funds for two important causes.

Local man Stephen Maginnis was videoed completing the "world's first base jump from a bonfire" at Craigyhill bonfire in Larne, which consists of 363 rows of pallets with a 35ft beacon on top. He has been BASE jumping for the past 11 years, and the Craigyhill jump was the culmination of five years worth of planning.

The pyre is known to be the "world's tallest bonfire", with organisers hoping the structure can reach 220ft this year, with measuring currently underway.

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Posting on Facebook after a video of the base jump was shared widely on social media, the team behind the Craigyhill bonfire assured it was carried out safely and "it's all for a good cause."

Speaking to Belfast Live, Stephen said: "I've been planning this jump for five years and have been on site numerous times at this specific bonfire to make sure I was 100% happy with multiple safety aspects to the jump.

"It's a world's first in BASE jumping and a very unique object so it was an incredible feeling finally being able to pull it off safely and for such an amazing cause the guys are donating to."

He completed the base jump to raise funds for the families of Scarlett Rosborough, who died last year in Carrickfergus aged eight, and Skye Carson, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer aged just 15 months. The fundraising page has passed its target of £2,000.

The Craigyhill bonfire team said: "This guy is a professional base jumper, not some eejit with a parachute, he does this for a living.

"Please go to the GoFundMe page and give as much or as little as you can, anything can make a difference. We decided to let Stephen do this to draw attention to this worthy cause and hopefully get the funds needed to help wee Skye and to help the children’s hospice in aid of young Scarlet."

BASE jumping is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend safely to the ground. Participants exit from a fixed object, and after an optional freefall delay, deploy a parachute to slow their descent and land.

You can donate to the GoFundMe page by clicking here.

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