Rappelling Really is a Life Skill!

New York, NY -

NYARA founder and director Chris Ballou learned that rappelling actually is a practical skill last Thursday after rescuing an errant paraglider snagged on the Statue of Liberty.

Officials learned that the French paraglider, who calls himself Terry Do, was not in fact attempting to recapture the statue for France - he was attempting to perform a stunt involving bungee-jumping off the platform surrounding the torch. Ballou, a member of the NYPD SCUBA Team, came to his rescue with members of the Federal Police after the Frenchman's motor-powered parasail caught on the torch, leaving the stuntman hanging, literally, for 40 minutes.

Ballou described the rescue for MSNBC:

"We got him up inch by inch, we got him to the top and we got him into the torch."

He and his partner Keith Duval, a NYARA member himself, came onto the scene just moments after Do snagged himself on the torch, and offered to lend their ropes technique and instruction to the officers already on the scene.

For full coverage of the story, check Stunt Man Becomes Snagged on Statue of Liberty By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NYARA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to spreading news about adventure racing and maintaining a network among New Yorkers with a nasty itch for the outdoors to scratch. NYARA members have access to training clinics and association-sponsored races that teach skills necessary in adventure racing - and everyday acts of heroism.

Keep your eyes open for more news about adventure racing in the world's greatest city, from the only organization with the resources and know-how to bring it on.

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