Video of Newport Harbor leap builds mystery jumper’s online following
A masked daredevil has gained a significant following on social media recently by posting video footage of himself leaping off buildings and cliffs in Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.
The thrill seeker, who calls himself “8Booth,” most recently jumped from the top of the eight-story Newport Towers apartment building into Newport Harbor, narrowly missing a dock.
A video posted Saturday on YouTube shows the man climbing the stairs to the top of the 129-foot building, walking to the edge of the roof, pausing for 10 seconds and then leaping off.
His breathing grows more rapid as he’s falling, narrowly missing one of the two docks adjacent to the building, before splashing into the water. The footage was recorded with GoPro cameras mounted on his mouth and hand.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the video had about 3.2 million views and more than 8,000 likes. In the video description, 8Booth warns others not to “try this at home.”
“I’m a professional,” he wrote.
8Booth did not respond to a request for comment.
This isn’t the first time he has made a leap in coastal Orange County. His videos, posted as far back as two months ago on YouTube, show him jumping from cliffs above Crystal Cove State Park and the Montage Laguna Beach resort, as well as off the roofs or railings of several beachfront homes.
Three videos show him jumping from hotels in Laguna Beach into their pools. He often wears a bandana over his mouth along with sunglasses, covering most of his face.
Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said authorities are looking into whether he was given access to the apartment building in Newport Harbor for his latest jump.
“People are justifiably concerned with the risks he’s taking and are worried for his safety,” Manzella said. “We’re trying to determine if there’s any criminal activity that occurred with this jump.”
Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the Police Department’s detective division at (949) 644-3790.
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
