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Oct. 20 (UPI) — A New York 18-year-old broke a Guinness World Record by catching a tennis ball dropped by a drone flying 469.5 feet overhead.
Cameron Heinig said he and his friend, drone pilot Julian, spent two summers training to break the record for the highest catch of a tennis ball.
Heinig told Guinness World Records he “didn’t even come close” to catching the ball during the first summer, but he found more success the next year by using a baseball glove to practice.
He started catching the ball bare-handed when his gloved attempts were consistent.
“I was a little worried that it would hurt, but I figured it was worth it for a Guinness World Records title,” he said.
Heinig’s official attempt had to be delayed when a surveyor brought in to measure the drone’s height said the flying vehicle was too small, so it had to be altered to add a reflector.
On the day of his official attempt, Heinig managed to catch the ball on his third try. The surveyor verified it was dropped from a height of 469.5 feet, breaking the previous record by 75.4 feet.