A daredevil entrepreneur who crashed at 244mph during a bid to set a speed record in a Porsche 911 Turbo took one hand off the wheel to deploy a parachute, an inquest heard.
Zef Eisenberg, 47, was attempting to prove he had created the world’s fastest Porsche and achieve a record “flying mile” when he died at Elvington Airfield near York in 1 October 2020.
His “extensively modified” car overturned at high speed, barrel rolling and spinning end over end, travelling 500 metres before it eventually came to a stop.
The millionaire businessman suffered “multiple traumatic injuries” and died at the scene.
Mr Eisenberg, an ultra-speed motorcycle racer, asked for a parachute to be fitted to his Porsche as part of his own bespoke design.
He mistakenly braked before releasing the parachute – causing the car to become unstable and take off, the inquest found.
Jamie Champkin from Motorsport UK – the organisation which gave Mr Eisenberg the permit to take on the challenge – said the car hit the ground nose first.
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“Unsurvivable” incident
Mr Champkin told the inquest: “The car became airborne very quickly, it travelled 513 metres before coming to a rest.
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“The minute it is in the air, there’s no friction, apart from air friction, to restrain its speed in any way.”
He added: “Our estimates were it was probably still doing 150mph, maybe 250mph, but it hit the ground and our very basic calculations would suggest an impact force may be as high as 37,000lbs, or 218 times Mr Eisenberg’s body weight.
“This incident was not survivable in that context.”
Coroner John Heath recorded a verdict of misadventure after Mr Eisenberg died from injuries caused while “driving at approximately 244mph during a record speed attempt.”
He needed to take his left hand off the steering wheel of the modified vehicle – which was legal to drive on the road – to use a lever to deploy the parachute.
Steve Gardner, who at the time was a collision investigator for North Yorkshire Police, said the movement to push the lever forward and release the parachute was “quite substantial”.
The car was not fitted with an alternative device, a button mounted on the steering wheel.
A minimal but noticeable twitch was observed on the steering wheel seconds before Mr Eisenberg lost control.
He carried out 10 runs of the airfield that day, with analysis of the vehicle finding no faults in the brakes, tyres or aerodynamics.
Relatives who joined the inquest remotely expressed concerns about whether Mr Eisenberg was strapped in correctly using a six-point harness, which was attached to the car in five places.
‘True genius with unique talents’
Thrill-seeker Mr Eisenberg survived Britain’s fastest motorcycle crash at the same airfield in 2016 when his turbine-powered motorbike failed to stop at the end of the runway.
But he was forced to learn to walk again after breaking bones in his legs and pelvis.
The former teenage bodybuilder, from north London, made his fortune with the Maximuscle fitness brand of protein powder – which was later sold to pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline – before moving to the island of Guernsey.
His passion for motorsport led to him presenting ITV show Speed Freaks, focusing on the design, build and engineering of extreme cars.
His family paid tribute to him as a “true genius with unique talents”.
Mr Heath said he would make a report asking Motorsport UK to consider regulations about the strength of the chassis at which point harnesses are mounted – although this was not a factor in Mr Eisenberg’s death – in the hope of preventing future deaths.
Police have said they are not looking for any other suspects and have asked the public to “avoid speculation about the incident and to respect the boy’s family at this deeply upsetting time”.
The baby boy died in hospital on Sunday, police said today.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Zoe Eele, of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “We are investigating a distressing incident involving a very young child at Legoland Windsor earlier this week.
“Firstly, our thoughts are with the family of the boy who sadly died in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. We are supporting them as best we can at this extremely difficult time.
“We are working closely with the team at Legoland Windsor Resort but would like to speak to anyone who may have information about this incident, specifically anyone who was queueing for the Coastguard HQ boat ride between around 11.30am and 12:45pm.”
The King is too busy to see Prince Harry during his visit to the UK, the duke’s spokesperson has said.
Harry is in London for an event celebrating 10 years of the Invictus Games.
It marks the first time the royal has been in the country since his rushed visit to see the King in February after the monarch’s cancer diagnosis.
There had been press speculation that the pair would meet up again on his latest trip, but a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex has said the King is too busy to see his son.
“In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme,” the spokesperson said.
“The duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
The King returned to public duties last week for the first time since his diagnosis for an unspecified form of cancer.
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Buckingham Palace has said his diary will be carefully managed to minimise any risks to his health.
The palace has also said it would not comment on matters relating to Harry.
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The monarch held an audience with the prime minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, at Buckingham Palace today as Harry was seen in the UK.
Earlier, a Sky News camera captured Prince Harry arriving at the Honourable Artillery Company’s headquarters on the edge of the City of London for a one-day summit, called the Invictus Games Foundation Conversation.
The event is looking back over the decade-long history of the games which Harry founded in 2014 as a Paralympics-style sporting event for injured and sick military personnel and veterans.
It is taking place ahead of a ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the games.
The ceremony will be the first major event Harry has attended in Britain for some time.
Harry hails legacy that ‘transcends sports’
Speaking in a foreword at the summit taking place today ahead of the St Paul’s service, Harry said: “It has been an honour to watch the Invictus Games Foundation grow over the years; what began as a vision to pay tribute to the courage and resilience of wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans, has flourished into an international organisation built on hope, strength, and unity.”
The duke also wrote: “We are eager to celebrate the Invictus Spirit once again – exemplified in every single competitor, staff, friend and family member – your commitment, enthusiasm and belief, have been the driving force behind our continued success.”
He added: “Together, we have created a legacy that transcends sports; a community that embraces compassion, respect, and the unyielding belief in the power of the human spirit. As we celebrate this milestone, let us recommit to the Invictus mission.”
It is not known if any other members of the Royal Family will be in attendance at the ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday.
British actor Damian Lewis is set to recite the Invictus poem during the service.
Representatives from across the Invictus Games participating nations, including members of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veteran community, will also be in attendance.
Following his visit to Britain, Harry will be joined by his wife Meghan for a trip to Nigeria.
The Duke of Sussex served in the UK military himself for 10 years from 2005 and was deployed to Afghanistan on two occasions.
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From February: Prince Harry and Meghan visit training camp
Harry was inspired to found the Invictus Games after attending the Warrior Games in Colorado in 2013 and seeing how injured American military personnel thrived on the challenge of taking part in competitive sports that aided their recovery.
He went on to stage the inaugural games in London’s Olympic Park in 2014, followed by Orlando in 2016, Toronto in 2017 and Sydney 2018.
Harry has only visited the UK a few times since his decision to move to the US.
His latest trip comes after reports of a rift between himself and his brother William, the heir to the throne.
In a tell-all book published in January last year, Harry made several explosive claims about the royals – detailing fallouts with his family, including William.
Temperatures could hit highs of 26C this weekend, with Saturday in with a chance to be the hottest day of the year so far.
Forecasters say temperatures will build over the coming days before coming to a head over the weekend, with mostly clear conditions expected across England and Wales.
By Saturday, the Met Office indicates the south of England could see highs of up to 26C. So far, the hottest temperature recorded this year was in Santon Downham in Suffolk, which saw 23.4C last Thursday.
The forecaster said high pressure will push north throughout the week and bring more warmer and drier conditions after the bank holiday weekend washout.
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Met Office meteorologist Amy Bokota said: “High pressure is forecast to dominate the UK for the rest of the week and into the weekend.
“High pressure brings dry and settled weather and with warm air sat over the UK this will give some pleasant warm temperatures. There is good confidence that high pressure will last until the weekend.
“Temperatures are expecting to build over the next few days, with a likely peak of Saturday.”
Scotland and Northern Ireland are also set to enjoy warmer springtime weather, with 22C also forecast on Saturday in Glasgow.
Northern parts of the UK will still see cloudy skies, and patches of moving high pressure are “likely to cause periods of prolonged rainfall” in parts of Northern Ireland and the north of Scotland, Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said.
The sunnier skies aren’t set to last long, however. In their long range outlook to 21 May, the Met Office said that Sunday will “likely be the last widely dry and fine day for a while, with warm sunshine for most”.
It added: “After Sunday, the weather is expected to switch back to become changeable across the country, with further spells of rain and showers expected.
“Rainfall amounts could be above average in most areas. It is also possible that rain will be heavy at times, and any showers could turn thundery. Temperatures are also expected to fall closer to average for May.”