Obit of the Day: “The Prince of the Air”
Jay Cochrane ran away from home at the age of 14 with one goal in mind: to become a tightrope walker. He would eventually own six world records for his high wire feats and earn the nickname, “The Prince of the Air.”
Mr. Cochrane career almost ended before it began when he fell 70 feet off a wire in 1965. He broke his pelvis and both legs. Doctors told him he would never walk again. In 1970 he was back on the wire.
During his career Mr. Cochrane became famous for his long-distance wire walking. In 1972 at the Canadian National Exposition he traversed a 300 foot wire 41 times for a total distance of 2.1 miles of walking. He would break that record 30 years later when he walked 11.81 miles - at the age of 68.
Mr. Cochrane’s other records include the longest time spent on a high wire (21 days, 1981), longest blindfolded walk (800 feet, 1998), and the longest and highest combined skywalk (1995). The last record took place in China where he crossed the Yangtze River on a wire nearly 2,100 feet long and 1,340 feet high. For his accomplishment he was honored in China with his own postage stamp and school in his name.
In 2002, Mr. Cochrane completed the first skywalk over Niagara Falls since 1897.
Jay Cochrane died on October 30, 2013 at the age of 69.
Sources: Winnipeg Free Press, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and JayCochrane.com
(Image of Mr. Cochrane’s 2012 Skywalk which set a record for distance, 11.81 miles, is courtesy of asiatown.net and copyright of the Europeanpress Photo Agency)
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I also read it as the Fresh Prince of Bel Air
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is will smith okay with this???
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