HENRI LAMOTHE

Henri LaMothe — The Flying Squirrel

Henri LaMothe, known as the “diving daredevil,” was famous for his signature stunt, the “Flying Squirrel” dive. He performed this daring feat across the country, leaping from 40 feet above the ground into a collapsible plastic pool containing only four feet of water.

Born in Chicago, Henri began his career as a cab driver before transitioning into entertainment as a Charleston dancer. At just 19 years old, he created the Lucky Lindy (also known as the Lindy Hop), a swing and jazz dance hybrid. In a 1977 Los Angeles Times article, LaMothe credited the Lindy for his transition into diving, saying, “I dove like a plane and landed on my belly on the dance floor.” He continued, “Then came the Depression, when jobs weren’t so easy to find. I started diving into the water for a living.” Specifically, he performed as a diving clown.

Over the course of his career, Henri completed his stunt more than 2,000 times nationwide, using his signature arched belly flop as a safety technique. Describing his method, he explained, “When I’m on the platform, I go through yoga, stretching, and limbering exercises. Then I wipe out all thoughts and concentrate on the circle and sense my aim, which is what Zen is.”

Henri’s daring act earned him widespread recognition. He appeared on What’s My Line? in 1958 and was profiled in Sports Illustrated in 1975. He made it into the Guinness Book of World Records and was honored with a wax mannequin at the Guinness Museum on Hollywood Boulevard. Additionally, he participated in impact testing for General Motors to help determine the level of stress the human body could withstand upon impact.

According to his widow, Birgit, Henri suffered only one significant high-diving injury—to his nose—and backed out of a dive only once, due to high winds in Kansas. Otherwise, she rarely worried about his stunts. “He did it for so many years, it didn’t bother me,” she said.