Daredevil parachutists pull off Manhattan stunt

Two daredevils parachuted from a height of about 40 storeys onto a Manhattan street near the World Trade Centre and disappeared into the night, police said.

Investigators were studying security footage to try to identify the parachutists and determine which high-rise they used for their leap, which took place around 3am Monday.

Police, who didn't release the video, suspect the pair may have pulled off a stunt similar to that of three so-called BASE jumpers who, in June, climbed to the top of the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, North America's second-tallest building, before parachuting to the ground and getting away.

The New York jumpers, wearing black helmets and jumping gear, landed about two blocks from each other along West Street, near the Goldman Sachs headquarters and walking distance to the World Trade Center site. They walked away from the scene without leaving a note or other evidence that would help identify them, police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

BASE jumpers leap from high places such as buildings, cliffs or other perches, and parachute down. BASE is an acronym for their usual jump-off points: buildings, antennas, spans and earth.

Earlier this month, an avid BASE jumper died after colliding with the side of a mountain while parachuting off Mount St. Helena in northern California.