An 87-year-old daredevil was determined not to let his age stop him from being adventurous as he became the oldest person to ever go down a 25-foot waterfall in Costa Rica.
The elderly daredevil was in the middle of the jungle with his family when he took on the naturally occurring slide, known as the Uvita Waterfall.
The attraction located near the village of Uvita in southern Costa Rica is popular with tourists and while staff from adventure tour company Paddle9 were nervous about letting the 87-year-old take it on, they didn’t regret their decision to let him loose on the slide.
Check out the video here:
The footage was shared by those working at the waterfall, who said the man ‘made it very clear that he wasn’t taking ‘no’ for an answer.’
After making sure he and his family members knew the risks involved, the men helped the thrill-seeker get into position at the top of the rocks, with the water rushing down into a natural pool below.
They instructed him to keep his arms crossed, legs straight and head back before pushing him down the slide and watching him plunge 25 feet to where other people were waiting in the water.
I thought it was impressive when my 70-odd-year-old grandmother took me and my brother to the treetop ropes course Go Ape!, but this adventurous man just raised the bar to a new level.
I’ll have to see if I can convince Nana to take us on a trip to Costa Rica next time.
Speaking of the record-breaking occasion, those behind the footage said:
We love this video because it really just shows that age is just a number and that it is incredibly important to always live life to the fullest.
Everyone at the scene could be heard cheering and celebrating as the 87-year-old daredevil popped back up at the bottom of the waterfall, having successfully accomplished the challenge.
The adventure tour company workers added:
He went down perfectly and all was right in the world. You could feel the energy afterward – it was quite a moment for everyone there!
Paddle9, who describe themselves as people who ‘jump off waterfalls for a living’, shared the video on Instagram and instructed followers to tag their parents and grandparents ‘so they know it’s never too late to get some’.
Incredible!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.