For a moment, there was silence. The parachute disappeared into the clouds below. Antti stood on the wobbly edge of the balloon basket, completely defenseless. No backup plan. No safety line.
He took off his shirt, standing topless in the freezing air. “Shall we have some fun?” he yelled. And then he jumped.
He entered freefall, reaching speeds of nearly 120 mph. With absolutely nothing to save him. Just him and the clouds. His friends didn’t waste a second. They jumped after him. They had a plan, but it was so risky that the chances of success were slim to none.
If they didn’t catch him by a certain altitude, Antti would splatter on the ground.
[readalso]