PANORAMA: A pair of jumpers prepare to leap off the New River Gorge Bridge together with only parachutes on their backs to prevent a deadly crash almost 900 feet below. In addition to the platform, jumpers can also opt to bounce off from a diving board. Experienced jumpers sometimes do flips and other tricks before the 8.8 seconds they have to pull their parachutes ends. About 400 people took the leap during Bridge Day 2007 with 165,000 spectators watching their freefalls. The bridge is only open for legal BASE jumping six hours each year during Bridge Day when the state of West Virginia lifts its laws for the event. BASE jumping instructor Tom Aiello explains the extreme risks associated with the sport.
INTERACTIVE: Click and drag on the image to move in any direction. Use the Shift Key to zoom in, and the Ctrl Key to zoom out Panoramic Composite by: Whitney Shefte - washingtonpost.com
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