See Dramatic Jump From a Skyscraper to a Pool

Three base jumpers from 1,300-foot tower met with applause and a splash.

ByABC News
October 13, 2014, 12:02 PM

— -- Three base jumpers made an impressive splash in a video gone viral, landing in a rooftop swimming pool from a 1,300-foot tower.

The video, uploaded on YouTube Oct. 4, documents John Van Horne's jump from the observation platform of the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower and glide through the Malaysian night sky before splashing into the middle of a pool surrounded by a cheering crowd. The pool was located on the rooftop of a 34-story building that was off to the right of the tower.

"The kind of fun part for us is the 'make it or you're in trouble' kind of way because there's nowhere else to land," said Van Horne, who recorded the jump with his video camera attached to his head.

Van Horne and jumpers Matt Frolic and Andy Lewis were in Malaysia for the KL Tower International Base Jump, an annual event in which base jumpers leap from different towers, particularly the KL Tower, which is 421 meters (approximately 1,381 feet), according to the official website for the tower. The hotel rooftop they landed on was holding a festival in honor of the event.

"Figured we'd make a big entrance to the party," Van Horne said, laughing.

The word BASE is an acronym referring to building, antenna, span and Earth, the four points from which a person can leap

The jump took place Sept. 28. Van Horne used a GoPro camera to document the stunt.