NEW DELHI: In a daring effort, Lt Col Satyendra Verma is India's first BASE jumper leaping off the 235-metre-tall Pitampura Tower here.
BASE jumping, considered one of the most dangerous adventure sports in the world, differs from the more popular sky-diving in that the former is made from a much lower altitude giving the jumper only a few seconds to deploy the parachute.
An expert
Col Verma is the captain of the Army Sports sky diving team and undertook the BASE jump as part of the centenary celebrations of the Indian Army's Corps of Signals. He has attempted more than 1,200 sky-diving jumps and is an expert in hand-gliding, para-gliding, hot-air ballooning, sky-diving and BASE jumping.
He has participated in World Military Parachuting Championships in Russia and Switzerland. Backed by his massive sky-diving experience which is considered a pre-requisite, Col. Verma trained in Malaysia and the US before venturing on his first BASE jump. He has earlier performed BASE jumps from K L Tower in Kuala Lumpur and Perrine Bridge in the US.
Elated by his success, a proud Col. Verma said he hoped his effort would make sky-diving and BASE jumping more popular in India. “I have done many such jumps outside India but this one being the first in our country makes it truly special,” he gushed. “My attempt reiterates the famed daredevilry of the Army and the Corps of Signals. I hope this invites the attention of youth seeking adventure and inspires them to join the armed forces.”
Corps of Signals, known as the “nerves” of the Indian Army, shoulders the responsibility for providing to the Indian Army peace-time static and combat communication.
Besides providing conventional communication, the Corps is also responsible for IT-related activities including networking, automated message switching and handling system and installation of state-of-the-art exchanges with latest interactive voice response systems.
The Hindu: Armyman dares country's first BASE jump
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