Stuntman, whose hair was linked to zip-wire, dies

An Indian Guinness Word Record holder has died after attempting to cross a river while suspended from a zip wire attached to his ponytail.

09:34 30 April 2013

Sailendra Nath Roy, a 48-year-old Indian Guinness World Record holder, has died after attempting to cross a river suspended from a zip wire attached to his ponytail.

The daredevil was performing the stunt on the Teesta river in West Bengal where hundreds of spectators watched his last moments in terror. Witnesses say that he was stuck in the wheeler of the rope after covering about 300feet.

"He was desperately trying to move forward,” Balai Sutradhar, a photographer who was present at the event said.

“No one could follow what he was saying.”

Doctors confirmed that he died of massive heart attack. Although he was wearing life jacket, there were no doctors at the scene that could have helped him. Police said that Mr Roy did not get the permission to do the stunt at Teesta river.

According to a friend who wants name withheld, Mr Roy wanted this stunt to be his last. He said: "His wife used to urge him to quit doing dangerous stunts. Mr Roy convinced her that crossing the Teesta river would be his last. Unfortunately, that became his last stunt."