Zepp dives into facilities debate with Millaa Millaa Falls stunt
Cliff Jump Stunt
Tablelands adrenaline junkie Zepp Maxfield ticked off a bucket list waterfall cliff jump last week when he threw himself off Millaa Millaa Falls to the shallows more than 18m below… and has got on the front foot to defend any backlash for the stunt.
The lifesaver and professional cliff jumper, 24, said he meticulously planned the jump at Millaa Millaa Falls - 90km south east of Cairns and the scene of a double drowning in July 2024 claiming the lives of Indian students Chaitanya Mupparaju and Surya Teja Bobba - and has made it clear on his social media sharing of the jump that it should only be attempted by professionals.
In the Instagram video of the stunt, which has more than 20,000 views, Zepp says “it’s all about doing stupid things in smart ways”.
“Millaa Millaa had been on my bucket list for waterfalls to jump for a very long time,’’ Zepp told Newsport.
“For many years I thought it could not be jumped due to the shallow pool at the bottom.
I had also heard of stories from other locals saying that it had been jumped before, but that was when it wasn't so shallow.
“I never actually planned on jumping the waterfall last Thursday; in-fact the only plan was to depth check and go from there. I first had doubts it was possible at all.
“As the results from the depth check came back safe - in a very specific zone - I started feeling like I was capable of safely landing the jump.’’
Zepp then assessed the takeoff point to ensure it was safe to jump without slipping.
“Before I jumped, I ensured that my lifeguard qualified friend Jirra was at the bottom to help accurately spot me to the landing zone and, most importantly, be there to provide first aid or a lifeguard rescue in case of an accident or bad landing,’’ Zepp said.
Zepp said the sport requires progressive learning and lots of repetition, adding that he is unsettled by the lack of funding and focus FNQ gets for safe high dive facilities.
“With the Queensland Brisbane Olympics coming up soon, it's quite disgusting that FNQ has not one dive pool for people to practice at,’’ he said.
“FNQ youth and young adults are significantly disadvantaged when wanting to pursue platform diving compared to people that live in other states and regions.
“The closest dive platform facility from Cairns is based on the Sunshine Coast.
“Lake Eacham used to have a dive platform many years ago, as did many of the local swimming pools. It was the late ‘90s and early 2000s when these platforms were removed with no replacement.
“Removing dive facilities does not stop people from jumping or diving at waterfalls; it makes it harder for them to learn how to do it safely and professionally.
“If FNQ had a dive platform facility, incidents and fatalities relating to waterfall Cliffjumping would be significantly reduced.
At the time of the drowning death of the two men at Millaa Millaa in July 2024, 21 people had died in swimming holes in northern Queensland when swimmers were caught off guard by conditions at popular spots including Crystal Cascades, Josephine Falls and Babinda Boulders.
It sparked a warning on the inherent risk involved in swimming in waterways regardless of how calm conditions appear.