Conquer The Uncharted: Kayaking A Waterfall In The Amazon Rainforest

Pedro successfully plunged over the violent falls, but the impact was so strong that he initially believed he’d lost his hearing as he was submerged under the water for 10 seconds - with his support team watching on anxiously.

Dropping over the falls’ edges, in an area Pedro described as “the green hell of the Amazon”, the kayaker’s boat flipped many times before the combined force of the drop and the water’s power tossed him out of the boat.

He said: “The water took me from my kayak like a doll. I did many flips. It was crazy.”

At the foot of the falls the kayaker was completely submerged under the pounding water and when his empty kayak reappeared, Pedro wasn’t in it, causing alarm among the assisting safety crew.

He said: “When I hit the water it felt like a kick in the chest. Everything went completely dark. In an instant I was about 10 metres under water and my eardrums almost burst, I felt a huge pain in the head and ears, I thought I had lost my hearing.”

But the suspense turned to joy and cheers as he bobbed to the surface and emerged from the powerful torrent.

He said: “After dropping Juruena I feel like I’m born again.”

The remote location of these falls makes them unknown and extremely dangerous as a result.

Having first attempted to kayak over the powerful falls five years earlier, Pedro had to turn back, too afraid to paddle over the edge.

The defeat left him with a burning ambition to return and one day successfully make the descent, which he has now done.

He said: “You can have fears in your life. Juruena for me represents this. Five years ago I saw the waterfall and it was too strong for me at that time.”

As a professional, Pedro has tackled some of the world’s fiercest rivers and waterfalls – even descending the 127-ft Salto Belo falls in Brazil - one of the longest kayak descents over a waterfall ever.

In spite of his professional daredevil-ism however, Juruena remained Pedro’s personal nemesis.

To mark the release of PlayStation’s 'Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End', Pedro was given the opportunity to carry out his own uncharted adventure - and he immediately thought of Juruena.

Pedro said: “My goal here is to face my fears. I’ve been chasing this a really long time. For me it’s the most powerful waterfall in my life.”

'Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End', is the latest instalment in the critically acclaimed action-adventure series. It sees protagonist, adventurer and treasure hunter Nathan Drake, travel the world through cities, mountains and jungle lands – the latter of which bear a strong similarity to the Juruena falls and its surrounding area.

Pedro said: “When I stand in front of the waterfall I think it is similar to the scenery in Uncharted 4. You have two waterfalls, a rock in the middle, the birds, the blue sky, the wind, the sun and all this combination is unique.”

The Juruena falls are situated in Brazil’s third largest national park in the Mato Grosso region, a remote and unexplored area.

Pedro said: “Mato Grosso is known as the 'green hell' of the amazon forest. The last great blank space on earth.

“It’s a very special area. Totally different to other places in the world.”

Pedro throws a plastic barrel, with an integrated GPS system, down the falls first to understand the water flow.

He said: “I see how the object floating will behave in the fall and after the fall, to assist me in making the decision to jump and to learn more about the waterfalls.”

Before making a descent, Pedro says he typically remains focused and relaxed as a sign of respect to the natural world he is encountering.

“Before the drop, I have concentration. My mind is super-relaxed, my heart is calm. I do this because I have confidence in myself, because I think this is my mission. But the waterfall has the control,” he added.

“I’m so happy I conquered my fears, that was my goal.”

'Conquer the Uncharted' is a new series launched by PlayStation to mark the release of third-person action adventure game, 'Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End', out now.