BASE jumper Jeb Corliss fell more than 66 meters after a leap in a wingsuit from the top of Table Mountain in South Africa went horribly wrong.

    The professional daredevil, 35, was recovering in hospital after breaking both his legs yesterday in the catastrophic stunt.

    A minute-long clip posted on YouTube shows the American adrenaline junkie wearing a black wingsuit as he stands on a cliff face on the iconic mountain in Cape Town.

    Corliss, who is known as the Birdman after pulling off a string of similar stunts, was seen leaping over the edge of the mountain alongside a cameraman named in the film as Jeff Nebelkopf.

    The shaky footage shows the pair jumping over the cliff at the start of what was supposed to be a triumphant stunt in which they would soar down to the ground below.

    In fact, the men disappear from view for just a few seconds before a series of pained human groans are heard from below.

    After plummeting to the ground, Corliss was tended by his colleagues before being airlifted to hospital with broken legs.

    Doctors said the experienced base jumper only survived the terrifying fall by deploying his emergency parachute in the seconds before he smashed into the rock face.

    Corliss is now in a stable condition in hospital.

    Michelle Norris, spokeswoman for the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, confirmed he needed surgery after breaking both of his legs in the fall.

    Colleagues said they believed the experienced jumper may have caught a gust of wind as he plunged from the mountain. Corliss has made a name for himself as one of the world’s most daring base jumpers.

    His previous achievements include jumping from the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.

    Officials in South Africa have said the California-born stuntman could face criminal charges over a fine following his Table Mountain leap.

(SD-Agencies)