Tributes pour in for Jetman Dubai's Vincent Reffet

AFP

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, posted a picture with Reffet saying "We will miss you".

In a statement posted on social media, the company said the 36-year-old French stuntman Vincent Reffet died "during training in Dubai" on Tuesday.

It added that he was a "talented athlete, and a much-loved and respected member of our team...Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who knew and worked with him."

Jetman Dubai also said the company is working closely with "all relevant authorities."

Reffet came from a family of skydivers and was part of the "Jetman" team which performed groundbreaking stunts above the emirate using jetpacks and carbon-fibre wings.

The Jetmen have pulled off a series of dramatic flights, soaring in tandem above the Burj Khalifa, and alongside an Emirates Airbus A380, the world's largest commercial airliner. 

Fans are also sending messages describing the wingsuit jumper as a legend and a hero.

More from Local

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • Entertainment Extra

    1:00pm - 2:00pm

  • Afternoons with Helen Farmer

    2:00pm - 5:00pm

    Every weekday afternoon, Helen Farmer will help you to navigate the highs and lows of life in the UAE. Stay up to date with what’s happening and where to go.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Flying Taxis

    It sounds like an episode of The Jetsons, but the sight of flying taxis whizzing around our cities could be much closer than you think.

  • Tough penalties for deliberate tax evasion

    The UAE has said that tougher penalties will come into force from 1st August for not keeping proper corporate tax records.