A Belgian content creator and BASE jumper has been ordered to pay NZ$22,000 (approximately €11,000) in compensation after his parachute became snagged on the façade of a New Zealand hotel, triggering a costly rescue operation.
22-year-old daredevil Ilies Nait El Cadi was convicted by the Auckland District Court over two dangerous BASE-jumping stunts in the city, according to The New Zealand Herald.
BASE jumping is an extreme sport that involves parachuting from fixed structures, such as buildings, bridges and cliffs, rather than aircraft. His first stunt took place in June, when he jumped from a skyscraper still under construction in central Auckland. The 56-storey building contained sharp objects and other hazards that could have fallen on pedestrians below.
According to court documents seen by the Herald, Nait El Cadi climbed over a perimeter fence and security barriers to access the building’s stairwell before making his way to an unfinished upper floor, 41 levels above the ground.
He then jumped from the skyscraper during the morning commute, landing safely on the street below.
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The second stunt took place at Hotel Indigo in central Auckland. Nait El Cadi told the Herald that the jump had been something of an afterthought.
Speaking to the Zealander newspaper after the incident, Nait El Cadi said his parachute had spun around after opening and become caught on a metal bar attached to the hotel’s façade.
“This caused significant risk to the defendant and the public,” the court’s summary of facts stated, according to the Herald.
Emergency services deployed a specialist rope rescue team to reach the Belgian jumper, while the pavement below was cordoned off as shards of glass fell from approximately 100 metres above the ground.
Police estimated the damage and rescue costs at around NZ$25,000, although the final bill remains unknown.
The BASE jumper said he managed to hold on while waiting for rescuers to arrive and later thanked emergency responders for their help.
The Belgian also apologised for the stunt, acknowledging the risks involved, and admitting that he had made a mistake. He revealed that a friend had died in a similar incident just a month earlier.
During a court appearance, his lawyer said Nait El Cadi now understood the importance of respecting local laws when visiting other countries.
“He’s quite remorseful for his actions,” his lawyer told the court.
Before his legal troubles, Nait El Cadi had shared videos of dangerous stunts on social media, often concealing his identity behind a balaclava.
His posts include footage of him hanging by one hand from a large antenna and walking along the rim of a smokestack.
In one post, he reflected on the fear of death and the importance of living in the present, ending his message with the hashtag #adrenalinerush.
