James Jarrett Miller (October 28, 1963 – c. 22 September 2002), also known as the Fan Man, was an American parachutist and paraglider pilot known for his appearances at various sporting events.
Fan Man made headlines in the United States when he used his powered paraglider to fly into the arena, eventually crashing into the side of the ring.
He started with a jetpack tied to his back, and moved up to two-cycle aircraft engines which powered him through the skies above the desert.
[2] Miller's first and most famous stunt happened on November 6, 1993, during the heavyweight title fight between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield.
He tried to hang on with one foot and one hand on that top rope for a few seconds until he either fell or was dragged down into the crowd by spectators, his parachute ripping away from the lights above.
In an exclusive interview with British journalists after the bout, Miller categorized his ring crash as accidental and not intentional, claiming it was caused by mechanical problems.
"[4] The media immediately dubbed Miller "Fan Man," for the paramotor (lightweight engine and propeller) attached to his harness.
"[1] After returning to the United States, Miller received death threats for interrupting sporting events.
[1] On March 9, 2003, a group of hunters bushwhacking through the woods on the peninsula found Miller's decomposing body.
Police said they believed Miller had chosen the remote Resurrection Pass Trail and had veered deep off-trail in hopes that his body would not have been discovered for years, if ever.
[6] Although Miller's disappearance and death were reported in the local press shortly after his body was found, his suicide did not become widely known outside Alaska until the latter part of 2003 when ESPN went searching for him to film a SportsCenter feature to be shown during the tenth anniversary of his stunt.