FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (AP) - As if parachuting off an 876-foot-tall bridge wasn't scary and exciting enough, some thrill seekers will get to use a catapult during this year's Bridge Day in West Virginia.
Jason Bell owns the company that coordinates the annual BASE jumps off the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville.
A mechanical engineer, Bell and his company, Vertical Visions, designed and built the 2,500-pound steel catapult. It will be available to only a few dozen experienced parachutists Saturday. As of Friday, there were seven slots still available for $99.
Bell says the catapult will hurl parachutists 20 feet vertically and 50 feet horizontally from a steel chair.
An explanation of the catapult on the company website calls the launch "smooth, yet powerful."
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