Sailendra Nath Roy: India Guinness World Record Holder Dies While Performing Ponytail Zipline Stunt Over Teesta River [VIDEO, PHOTO]
A stuntman’s attempt to cross India’s Teesta River by his ponytail, a pulley and a zipline proved fatal.
Sailendra Nath Roy, a Guinness World Record holder for traveling the farthest distance on a zipline using his hair, died from a heart attack Sunday while trying to repeat the stunt, BBC reports.
Roy had attached his hair to a pulley and was attempting to cross the 600-foot long zip wire that hung 70 feet above the water when his hair became tangled roughly halfway across and he became stuck.
"He was desperately trying to move forward. He was trying to scream out some instruction. But no one could follow what he was saying. After struggling for 30 minutes, he became still," Balai Sutradhar, a photographer, told BBC.
Roy hanged for 45 minutes before being pulled to shore. Besides his lifejacket, no emergency measures were implemented. Police say Roy didn’t have permission to perform the stunt.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that Roy suffered a heart attack caused by a nervous breakdown after remaining suspended for several minutes," B.R. Satpathi, from West Bengal state's medical services, told India Times.
His family watched the stunt, which he said would be his last, a friend told BBC.
In 2011, Roy made it into the Guinness World Records for crossing 270.6 feet on a zipwire using his hair. Last year, he tied a chain to his hair and dragged an engine and four coaches from the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway for 8.2 feet.
Roy’s brother, Benoy, was watching his older brother’s stunt for the first time, AFP reports.
"We were proud of his bravery. He was sure to win, but destiny has taken his life and the most beloved member of our family as well," he said.
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