Daredevil urban parachutist appears in court after botched stunt

A Belgian tourist known for posting extremely dangerous stunts on social media has appeared in court for charges stemming from a botched base jump from a central Auckland hotel last week.

Court documents reveal the defendant, known by the screen name “ilies_nec”, is 22-year-old Ilies Nait El Cadi. He did not seek name suppression as he stood in the dock at Auckland District Court for the first time today.

He has not yet entered pleas but has indicated he wants to resolve the case quickly.

The content creator first featured New Zealand in a video last month in which he parachuted from the city centre’s 187m-tall Seascape building, dubbed a “ghost tower” by critics due to stalled construction.

But it was the failed jump last week from the Hotel Indigo, and the resulting dramatic rescue that caused an estimated $20,000 in damage, that prompted police to file burglary charges.

The offence carries a maximum possible penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.

First responders were seen smashing through a hotel window in order to pull Nait El Cadi to safety as he dangled from the building at about 70m.

Nait El Cadi has given multiple interviews since his arrival in New Zealand, many of which in the past week have included apologies for the Hotel Indigo jump, which occurred around 11pm last Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, when my parachute opened, it spun around and crashed into the building,” he told the Herald. “Unfortunately, the building wasn’t smooth, and the parachute got caught on a metal bar on the facade.

“I was able to hold on to it while waiting for the rescue team to arrive.”

He thanked emergency responders “for their help, kindness” and said he tried to adhere to a set of personal principles for each stunt: “Never break anything to access a jump, never endanger or disturb anyone other than myself.”

In a separate interview with the Herald earlier this month, after his Seascape jump was posted to social media, Nait El Cadi was guarded about his identity, stating only that he was “from Europe”.

He said he chose the Seascape because “it’s under construction”.

“It’s not completely closed off like a fully built-up building, so it’s easy to get in,” he explained. “I just went up the stairs.”

Court documents allege the sunrise jump had taken place in June, months before the video was released.

Belgian base jumper Ilies Nait El Cadi appears in Auckland District Court charged with burglary following a botched stunt that resulted in him dangling from the side of a city centre hotel. Photo / Michael Craig

Nait El Cadi hinted at the time that he would like to jump from the Sky Tower but did not mention Hotel Indigo as a possible target.

Police had previously said they were aware of the first video and were investigating the man’s identity and if he had permission, but charges weren’t filed until the second jump.

A spokesperson for Icon, which recently took over the long-stalled Seascape project from China Construction, said the Australia-based company condemned “this reckless and illegal behaviour”.

In addition to base jumps, the social media content creator also features clips of him climbing structures without a parachute. The other stunts do not appear to have occurred in New Zealand.

In one, he dangles by one hand at the top of a massive antenna, doing pull-ups.

In another, he walks around the rim of a smokestack.

“Fear of death is often a source of anxiety and suffering which can prevent us from fully enjoying life,” he wrote in French as the caption for the post. “So instead of worrying about the inevitable, let’s focus on finding happiness and fully living in the present.”

It concluded with the hashtag #adrenalinerush.

During today’s brief hearing, Judge Nicola Mathers ordered the defendant to return to court on November 2, at which point it is expected the matter will be resolved.

His court-appointed lawyer asked today if the next hearing date could be sooner so Nait El Cadi could go home. The judge declined the request, ordering that in the meantime, the defendant abide by an overnight curfew, not post on social media and not be in possession of any parachute equipment.

Nait El Cadi told the Herald he initially only intended to do one jump in New Zealand and he believed he had a good reception from his Seascape jump based on the online comments. He had been set to leave this past weekend but decided to try to squeeze in one more jump before he got on the plane, he said.

Now, he noted, his passport has been confiscated, and he’s not sure how long he will need to stay.

He declined to comment as he left court today.

Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.