--- title: "Video Shows Jetpack Inventor Crash Into a Lake" description: "French Jetpack inventor Franky Zapata lost control over his device during a recent flight demonstration and fell roughly 50 feet into a lake." date: "2022-05-31" modified: "2022-05-31" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/video-jetpack-inventor-crash-lake" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "jetpack" - "the digest" --- # Video Shows Jetpack Inventor Crash Into a Lake ![French Jetpack inventor Franky Zapata lost control over his device during a recent flight demonstration and fell roughly 50 feet into a lake.]() *\Image: Clement Mahoudeau/IP/Getty Images\* ## Losing Control French Jetpack inventor Franky Zapata, who made history in 2019 by becoming the first person to [cross the English channel]() on a jet-powered hoverboard, lost control over his device during a recent flight demonstration and fell roughly 50 feet into Lake Biscarosse near the west coast of France. Fortunately, Zapata is recovering well at a nearby hospital, the [*BBC* reports](). Footage [shared on social media]() shows Zapata gaining altitude as he spins faster and faster around his own axis, before plunging uncontrollably into the water. Unsurprisingly, upcoming demonstration flights have been cancelled — a terrifying reminder of the inherent dangers of riding jet-powered flying devices. https://twitter.com/Alex170346741/status/1530624066348105735?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1530624066348105735%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fworld-europe-61622794 ## Flyboarding The special "flyboard" Zapata designed features five micro-turbines, allowing him to accelerate to speeds of up to 87 mph. Zapata's eponymous company shows off the Flyboard Air on [its website](), calling it a "turboprop board capable of unprecedented mobility." The company also claims it's the "most compact redundant aircraft ever created." "This machine can lose one engine and still fly," it wrote. "If it loses two engines, the pilot will perform a controlled landing." It's unclear if Zapata was flying this particular product during his recent crash. The website does, however, claim that Franky Zapata "is the only rider" of the tech. Given Zapata's unfortunate plunge, the company clearly still has some kinks to work out. But we wish the inventor a speedy recovery and hope he can take to the skies once again soon. **READ MORE:** [Franky Zapata: French jetpack inventor injured in lake crash]() \[*BBC*\] **More on Zapata:** *[Someone Carrying a Rifle Just Flew Over Paris on a Hoverboard]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()