Roy Fransen, Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetRoy Fransen
British stunt performer
Date of Birth: 04-Jan-1916
Date of Death: 05-Jul-1985
Profession: stunt performer
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn 
About Roy Fransen
- Royston Albert Fransen (born 4 January 1916 in Tottenham, north London, England died 5 July 1985) was a British High Diver and Stuntman.
- He was best known for his public displays of high and acrobatic diving, usually into shallow depth tanks and pools.
- These high dives were often performed with both diver and water surface being set ablaze with burning petrol.
- Roy Fransen's professional high and fire diving career lasted over 40 years - until his accident and death in 1985 during a performance, when aged 69. His 1948 record high-dive, from a height of 110 feet into a depth of 8 feet, remained unbroken Worldwide for 49 years.
- This acrobatic diving record was in the category of highest into shallow.
- Whilst not including fire, incorporated a full somersault followed by a head first entry into a 16 ft diameter (above ground) diving tank.
- During his lifetime Roy Fransen remained unchallenged - European High and Fire Diving Champion. As a youth and during the 1930s, to improve his athletic hobby and sporting skills.
- regular daily practice was conducted dry and without water at home in suburban Pinner.
- This gave him a time saving on travelling to and from swimming pools.
- Here the disciplines of swallow and pike diving were practiced and perfected without interruption - from a spring board in to safety-netting set up in his parent's back garden. In the late 1940s together with his elder brothers and friends, including stuntman/diver George Baines and Vera Beaumont, diving beauty, a high dive stunt and show was created - simply to generate an income.
- This it did, and within two seasons had grown into a full-scale water show production called Aqua-revue.
- Enjoying popularity at open air lidos and indoor swimming pools, a troupe of 20 to 30 performed a mix of acrobatic water skills, beauty, comedy and danger.
- Roy Fransen's Aqua Show, plus Aqua-Belles and Aqua-Zanies toured many UK holiday resorts well in to the mid-1950s. By 1960 a more compact arena show was performed.
- This was billed as The Dive of Death, and as a spectacle attracted large audiences.
- Circus and Trade Fairs throughout the capital cities of the World were regularly visited.
- Many European and UK television broadcasts were transmitted.
- Timex, of wrist watch fame, ran a TV ad campaign praising their product's longevity - successfully enduring several 'On Fire Into Fire' high dives, whilst strapped upon Roy's wrist. Although a regular swallow dive, from a height of 75 feet is twice the average of Olympic diving, the water was less than half as deep ! Also, the small surface area of the water tank hardly compared to any swimming pool. However the Dive of Death, as posters announced, including its On Fire Into Fire sub-title, left little to the imagination exactly what the purpose of the equipment was for.
- The tank and tower both extreme in their respective small and high proportions. As a sensational spectacle, at whatever venue it was performed, the 'Dive of Death' was usually saved until after dark - allowing the flames to add greater drama.
- Whereas in daytime, Roy, wearing only swimming trunks, would dive into burning petrol spread upon the water surface.
- This was not without danger.
- Severe burns to bare legs and feet resulted from diving through an excessive column of flame.
- Likewise, thick dense smoke rising from the tank surface, could linger and so obscure Roy's targeting aim. Otherwise the 'On Fire, Into Fire' dive was performed - on occasions thrice daily.
- Then Roy would wear a full body costume - a silver painted cotton boiler-suit - when diving.
- However here, doused with petrol himself, a moment was selected to set alight both tank and diver.
- Then, as a blazing torch, Roy's only sanctuary was the water 70 ft below - beneath its burning surface. Every dive, even without fire, required precision alignment and split-second reactions.
- Head first (swallow dive) entry into the tank itself - a mere 16 feet diameter - needed a perfect aim and secure footing launch from the diving platform above.
- Whilst, of course, a degree of showmanship was included, there was no trickery involved.
- Every high dive was, without question, a very dangerous daredevil feat. Sadly, on 5 July 1985, during a public performance in South West London, Roy Fransen died whilst attempting his Dive of Death for the final time.
- He was then aged 69, and remained a very fit man for his years.
Read more at Wikipedia