Daredevils's attempt to hoverboard over English Channel ends in failure after he falls into the water

Andy Wells
·Freelance Writer

A daredevil who tried to cross the English Channel on a hoverboard has failed in his attempt after just 10 minutes.

French inventor Franky Zapata missed a landing platform mounted on a boat as he tried to land midway for refuelling and fell into the water.

The inventor of the jet-powered hoverboard was heading to Dover after taking off from near Calais 10 minutes earlier.

Franky Zapata, un inventor de 40 años, realiza un vuelo de prueba en el aerodeslizador con el que espera cruzar el Canal de La Mancha, en el aeropuerto de Saint Inglevert, cerca de Calais, en el norte de Francia, el 24 de julio de 2019. (AP Foto/Michel Spingler)
Franky Zapata has failed in his efforts to cross the English channel on a hoverboard (AP)
Franky Zapata, a 40-year-old inventor, takes to the air in Sangatte, Northern France, at the start of his attempt to cross the channel Thursday July 25, 2019. Zapata is anchored to his flyboard, a small flying platform he invented, taking off from Sangatte, in France's Pas de Calais region, and flying to the Dover area in southeast England. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)
The 40-year-old inventor took to the air in Sangatte, Northern France, at the start of his attempt (AP)

He had previously said he was confident but did not want to guess how long it would take to travel across the 22-mile stretch of water.

Mr Zapata expected to average 87mph, so was aiming to complete the crossing in around 20 minutes.

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He set off only carrying a powerpack.

The attempt coincided with the 110th anniversary of Louis Bleriot's 1909 channel crossing, which was the first time anyone had crossed the channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft.

Franky Zapata, a 40-year-old inventor, takes to the air in Sangatte, Northern France, at the start of his attempt to cross the channel from France to England Thursday July 25, 2019. Zapata is anchored to his flyboard, a small flying platform he invented, taking off from Sangatte, in France's Pas de Calais region, and flying to the Dover area in southeast England. (AP Photo/Michel Spingler)
Mr Zapata missed a landing platform mounted on a boat as he tried to land midway for refuelling and fell into the water (AP)
Franky Zapata, "Le Rocketman", a 40-year-old inventor, prepares for his training flight over the Saint Iglevert airport near Calais, Northern France, Wednesday July 24, 2019.Zapata, a 40-year-old inventor, will attempt on Thursday, to fly into the record books by becoming the first person in human history to zoom across the Channel aboard a jet-powered 'hover-board'. (Photo/Michel Spingler)
Mr Zapata wowed crowds in Paris on Bastille Day by flying over the celebrations on his Flyboard Air hoverboard (AP)

The beach which Mr Zapata took off from bears Bleriot's name.

Mr Zapata wowed crowds in Paris on Bastille Day by flying over the celebrations on his Flyboard Air hoverboard.