Brave or insane? Kayaker plunges over raging waterfall
Dramatic video has emerged after a kayaker plunged over the edge of a waterfall in Far North Queensland.
In the video which has been viewed by tens of thousands of people online, the person can be seen tackling the Paronella Park waterfall, south of Cairns.
The nail-biting footage shows them paddling over the edge of the falls and disappearing beneath the water.
Fortunately, he eventually resurfaces after the dangerous stunt.
According to the site TropicNow the man is an experienced kayaker from the UK who assessed the risks and sought advice from locals before attempting the risky stunt.
Chris Bucksey wrote on the video on Facebook, "Hi guys thats me your watching. Not bad for someone who landed 48hrs ago with no kit but just a good Aussie Contact.(sic)"
"We are very cautious and everything is based on a risk vs reward scale," Chris Bucksey commented on the footage.
"The boys I paddled with today have been running the local rivers and creeks for years."
"The only time they can run it is when it rains."
Shocked viewers have voiced their concerns on Facebook.
One person said: "Idiot if he got into trouble emergency services would have had to come into rescue him .not a good look when we advise people not to drive or go into flooded creeks (sic)"
One wrote: "Seriously? That could have ended in tears."
Another said: "Glad someone didn't have to try to rescue him."
Authorities said they accept that the far northern region is a tourism hub, but are urging people to think about the consequences given the weather is producing abnormal conditions.
"Things are far more dangerous than perhaps people might expect," said Assistant Commissioner for the far northern region at the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, John Bolger.
"We would really like people to have a think about if today is the right day and if these are the the correct conditions to take part in an activity."
7 News Meteorologist Tony Auden said: "Some areas around Innisfail, on Queensland’s North Tropical Coast, have recorded over 600mm of rainfall over the past 3 days.
"While this area normally sees the highest yearly rainfall across the country, local rivers and streams couldn’t cope with the deluge, with minor flooding being recorded right across the area.
"The rain is due to strong onshore winds pushing onto the Great Dividing Range, they’re in turn being driven by a weak low pressure system off the coast.
"Depending on the movement of the offshore low, more heavy falls are possible along the same stretch of coast over the next 24 hours, with showers and storms to continue over northern Queensland for the rest of the week."
The video oringally uploaded by Yeng Thao was shared to the Oz Cyclone Chasers Facebook page, and has been viewed more than 79,000 times.
7 News online has attempted to contact Chris Bucksey for further comment.
