2023-07-29 02:27:14
Sitting with her legs dangling on her pilot’s majestic stone helipad on the shores of Lake Memphremagog, Lysanne Richard still saw life in a good light. She and her team had just decided to call off her somersault into the lake from a helicopter.
• Read also: A spectacular dive from the top of a helicopter at Lake Memphremagog
And it wasn’t because the 42-year-old diver and mother of three had chickened out. Far from there.
The one who was regarding to set a women’s record by diving from a helicopter was actively preparing when the thunder began to rumble on the shore of the vast expanse of water in the Eastern Townships. Everything was ready, except that mother nature decided otherwise.
MARTIN CHEVALIER / JDM
Its brave pilot, Louis Lessard, and his entire team had already been monitoring the risk of thunderstorms for hours. And a strong storm cell that rushed over Pointe-Merry, the exact place where she was to jump 45 minutes later at 7:30 p.m., derailed her project.
For now…
Postponed
Because it is only a postponement, according to the actors of the adventure.
“It’s disappointing, but I’ve seen others. We experienced the same thing when I jumped out of a hot air balloon and into the icy lake, the positive-minded woman calmly pointed out. In this style of project, we are so dependent on the weather.
“It’s sad, continued the one who had planned everything to jump from 24 meters from the surface of the water. But if I want to be honest, it’s okay. There are so many pitfalls in big projects.”
A few feet away, its pilot abounded in the same direction. He had embarked on his adventure because of a common passion.
MARTIN CHEVALIER / JDM
“It’s sad, because we would be caught directly in the storm, he proved, holding out his weather radar tool. It has to be returned.”
Logistic challenge
Back at the wharf, you might see dozens of boats floating near the area where Lysanne Richard was to jump. Hundreds of spectators awaited the moment from the shore.
He had obviously not consulted the public notices of the diver’s decision.
This one also hoped to be able to execute this weekend, if the weather forecast allowed it. But given the magnitude of the logistics of such an event, nothing is certain.
It is once more necessary to align the rescue team, to prepare the landing zone on the water once more, to prepare the helicopter and to reorganize the cruise on the Grand Cru boat where nearly 200 people were crammed.
MARTIN CHEVALIER / JDM
Added to this is the psychological preparation and the hope of attracting as many spectators as the feat was also to be annexed to the fireworks show of the Grands Feux Magogois.
In the middle of the evening, when the storm never took place and only left a few drops of rain, the fires were still to take place, according to the president of the event, Renaud Légaré.
However, these were part of the diver’s major project.
MARTIN CHEVALIER / JDM
Record to beat
World champion in high-flying diving and with several podiums on the International Aquatic Sports Federation (FINA) circuit, and Red Bull had been preparing this project for quite some time.
She wanted to eclipse the women’s world record of 14 meters by regarding 10 meters from the top of a helicopter. She had planned four units of measurement to make sure she recorded the correct height.
With 17 years of experience, its pilot Louis Lessard had also very clearly written down the necessary altitudes on a pink notepad in order to respect the desired height of 24 meters at the controls of his Robinson 44 (R44).
Photo courtesy FBLphotographer
These notes and this preparation will come in handy sooner or later. It is now a question of choosing the best moment to perform this somersault.
Then she can move on to such a crazy feat. She says she has no shortage of ideas.
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