DEATH OF DOBBS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 61, 14 March 1927, Page 9

DEATH OF DOBBS

CHAMPION PARACHUTIST

J3ALLOON JUMPING SCARE

(United Press Association.—Copyright.} LONDON, 12th March. Captain Blacker, who was the only witness, of the death of F. Dobbs, through striking live wires while balloon jumping, saw the danger and shouted to Dobbs: "For God's sake, take care. They are live wires!" ' Dobbs replied: "I'll risk it," and proceeded to jump. He almost cleared the wires, but his legs became entangled. He struggled momentarily, threw out his hands in an endeavour to disentangle his legs, and a hand touched another wire, causing sparks and smoke.

Captain Blacker rushed to the aerodrome, summoned the aid ,of the police, who turned off the current. When the body was extricated it was badly burned. Death must have been instantaneous. ■ '

A few minutes before his death DobbSj who is known as the "parachute king of the 8.A.5\," having made 239 spectacular descents, said: "A parachute descent is wrongly regarded as a frightful risk. It is actually safer to descend by parachute than to ascend by aeroplane. People who crash have only 'themselves to blame. It is largely a matter of temperament. Even when falling at the rate of 200 miles an hour I have never lost consciousness. I think balloon jumping is . a wonderful sport, and I hope to be able soon to go on a series of. cross-country jumps, the same as they do in America." Earlier in the day Miss O'Dell carried out an experiment, and succeeded in rising to a height of twenty feet. The consensus of opinion appears to be that the sport is lacking in thrill. Whatever prospects it had of success are sure to be affected as the result of the tragic happening. Dobbs had descended from an aeroplane from as high as 15,000 ft.