Two Daredevils Fired Out of Europe's Tallest Chimney Set Human Catapult World Records

Two veteran BASE jumpers have set a pair of Guinness World Records after being launched straight up and out of Europe's tallest chimney by the world's largest human catapult.

Spain's Dani Roman, 35, and France's Fred Fugen, 47, were fired from a 60-meter catapult built inside the 360-meter smokestack in Trbovlje, Slovenia, Red Bull reported. The machine took them from zero to 180 kilometers per hour, about 112 mph, in 2.15 seconds, and the highest point of the flight reached 456.7 meters above the ground.

Roman claimed the record for greatest height by human catapult, rising 100.36 meters after leaving the launcher. The two then launched side by side and set a second record for the greatest combined height, 151.72 meters between them. After a split second of weightlessness at the top, both opened their parachutes and landed safely, Flyer reported.

The catapult was designed by DD Squad, a Slovenian team of stunt acrobats and engineers, and the project took two and a half years to bring together. Between them, the two men have made more than 32,000 parachute jumps.

Radio station WIXX noted the launch put up to 4.2 G's on the athletes on the way out. Red Bull says they are the first people ever catapulted out of a chimney. Call it crazy, but it is a reminder of what courage, careful engineering and years of practice can accomplish.