Extreme Athlete Dies After Hot Air Balloon Plunge

An extreme athlete known for base-jumping, wing-suit flying and slack-line walking, died after falling 100 feet from a hot air balloon while performing a stunt as part of an art project in France on Tuesday, his colleagues said, NBC News reported. 

Tancrede Melet, 32, was dangling "at arm's length" from the basket of the balloon just before he fell to the ground in the Drôme region, according the "Flying Frenchies," a bohemian collective he led. 

One of the Flying Frenchies' YouTube videos features a member catapulting off a cliff "Angry Birds-style," before releasing his parachute. The video received more than 1 million views.

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