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 News

News

  • H.H. Sheikh Hamdan pays tribute to royal photographer

    His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, has offered his heartfelt condolences to the family of royal photographer Ramesh Shukla, who passed away on Sunday.

  • H.H. Sheikh Hamdan awards Arab Hope Makers

    His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, has awarded Morocco's Fouzia Jbara Mahmoudi with AED1 million as the top winner of the Arab Hope Maker initiative on Sunday.

  • UAE looks into framework to regulate children's social media use

    The UAE's Education, Human Development, and Community Development Council is working towards establishing a framework that will regulate the use of social media among children.