Red Bull released video footage of an unprecedented dive off Dursey Island’s cable car in West Cork, and the stunt has already gone down in the history books. Orlando Duque, a Colombian high-diver and nine-time Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series champion, became the first person ever to launch himself from a moving cable car into the Atlantic, plunging 24 metres into open sea.
Suspended between the mainland and Dursey Island, the cable car is unique — it is reportedly the only cable car in Europe that traverses open sea water. Built in 1969, it has long been a symbol of West Cork’s rugged appeal, once used even to ferry livestock to and from the remote island. The span crosses more than 150 metres of open water, making the setting especially dramatic—and dangerous.
In comments accompanying the release, Orlando Duque described the dive as unlike anything he had ever attempted. “The cable car itself is so unique. To have the opportunity to dive from it was something special,” he said. “I’ve jumped off a lot of things during my career, but a cable car is definitely a first for me. Dursey Island, and the whole area around, is very, very unique. It is such a beautiful area, but with the wind here, the currents, the changing tide … there were so many challenges.”
Unlike a cliff ledge, he faced the added complexity of no fixed takeoff platform and a moving structure. The cable car sways, wind shifts, and currents vary — all of which forced him to time his launch with precision. “The biggest difference is that you don’t have a stable base to take off from,” Duque noted. “As soon as you push, you don’t have that solid feeling where you can control the dive. So, as soon as you leave the cable car you need to start solving problems, like building up speed. That was the main challenge.”
@redbullire WORLD’S FIRST CABLE CAR DIVE Red Bull Cliff Diving Legend Orlando Duque completed a spectacular 24-metre dive from the Dursey Island Cable Car in West Cork. A daring feat of courage at one of Ireland’s most dramatic coastal settings, whilst Orlando explores new locations during the @Red Bull Cliff Diving off season. : Dursey Island, Cork, Ireland : @Aerial Photography Ireland : Cork County Council #RedBull #GivesYouWiiings #RedBullCliffDiving #Ireland #DurseyIsland ♬ original sound - Red Bull Ireland
Cork County Council’s senior engineer Tim O’Herlihy, who supported Red Bull operations locally, warned of the unpredictable maritime conditions around Dursey. “The sea here can change very, very quickly. One day, it’s nice and calm — and the next, there are two-metre swells. It’s a very, very tough environment,” he said. To prepare, Duque reportedly practised at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Centre in Florida to fine-tune his form for this unique challenge.
This dive is a brand-new twist in Red Bull Cliff Diving’s long association with Ireland’s coastline. Over the years, Ireland has hosted multiple stops of the Cliff Diving World Series, in locations such as Inis Mór (Serpent’s Lair), Dún Laoghaire, Downpatrick Head, and along the North Coast. In 2014 and more recently, Inis Mór was a dramatic venue for cliff dives. At Downpatrick Head in 2021, one of the World Series stops, divers pulled off multiple perfect scores (tens).
Globally, Red Bull Cliff Diving has seen a number of remarkable records over the years — from highest difficulty dives to flawless runs — but the first ever dive from a cable car adds a new category altogether. While nothing on record quite matches this, the sport’s history is filled with boundary-pushing feats.
In Ireland alone, countless dramatic cliff dives have occurred — but never from a moving structure. Duque’s leap transforms a passenger cable car into a stage for extreme sport, pushing our understanding of what a “cliff dive” can be.
