Canadian rapper dies after falling off aeroplane wing during music video shoot

The 34-year-old trained "intensively" for months to perform the stunt

Jack Shepherd
Tuesday 23 October 2018 15:04 BST
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Jon James McMurray
Jon James McMurray

Canadian rapper Jon James McMurray died on the 20 October after falling to his death while performing a stunt that involved rapping while standing on the wing of an aeroplane in flight.

The 34-year-old had been training "intensively" for months to perform the stunt when things went wrong.

"As Jon got further out onto the wing of the plane, it caused the small Cessna to go into a downward spiral that the pilot couldn't correct," a statement from his management team, released to Canadian Press, reads.

"Jon held onto the wing until it was too late, and by the time he let go, he didn't have time to pull his chute. He impacted and died instantly."

The plane and pilot reportedly landed safely.

McMurray, born in Calgary, Alberta, was a professional skier until suffering a broken back and shattered heal. He instead pursued a career in music.

"His passion for making music videos and performing stunts were combined, and Jon pushed music in a new direction that was uncharted territory," the team said.

Rory Wayne Bushfield, a professional skier and friend of McMurray's, said the rapper had been planning the stunt for months.

"He planned for everything," he said. "It should have been straightforward. It's one of those things. We're not really sure what happened."

The local police department, the coroners office and the Transportation Safety Board are investigating the death.

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