Fear Enthusiast Free Climbs Up Water Tower

Self-confessed fear enthusiast Flaviu Cernescu filmed this vertigo-inducing footage in May, after spotting the hollow structure while paragliding near Romania's Retezat Mountains.

The 33-year-old used a rope to hoist himself up towards a rusty ladder, which he used to climb the imposing concrete building - without any safety equipment.

At the summit, the daredevil walked across the slender metal beams and even performed a set of press-ups while staring down into the 100 metre drop below.

He said: “I went there to practice paragliding and had the chance to see the structure from high in the air - it immediately caught my attention.

“It is 25 metres high, however its hollow centre has a depth of 100 metres into the ground.

“I was lucky there were no watchmen around - although the ladder only started about six metres above the ground so I had to throw and hook a rope to reach it.

 “I was curious and excited when I was climbing and when I got up and saw the deep hole in the middle I was a little scared too.

“The beams were rigid enough so I trusted them but it still felt intense.

“All climbs have something in common but they also have their own challenges - this one had some cool variations and felt fresh to me.

“When people watch the video they tend to get sweaty palms.”