Samuel Gilbert Scott

Samuel Gilbert "Sam" Scott (c. 1813 – January 11, 1841) was an American daredevil who was killed performing a stunt at Waterloo Bridge in London, England.

Scott was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and served in the United States Navy, where he became well known for jumping off the masts of Navy vessels. Upon leaving the Navy he became a professional stuntman, passing the hat for contributions after his performances. Scott performed stunts in Boston, Massachusetts, Philadelphia and on the St. Lawrence River. He dived from a precipice near Niagara Falls, reported in newspapers as a 593-foot jump, although historians consider this figure to be impossible. Scott also worked as a bartender in Rochester, New York, where Sam Patch had jumped to his death from the High Falls in 1829.

In 1837, Scott traveled to England to continue his diving career. He dove 100 feet in Manchester, 167 feet in Liverpool, and jumped from a 140-foot scaffold at the Chain Pier, Brighton. On the battleship St. Joseph, moored in Devonport, he jumped from a 200-foot topmast. In Cornwall, Scott allegedly jumped from a 240-foot cliff into eight feet of water; this achievement exceeds the current world record high dive, and is also considered unlikely.

Scott was nearly killed in an accident while performing on an American ship in Deptford. He often swung from a rope by his feet and neck before jumping. While he was doing so in Deptford, the rope accidentally slipped around his neck and nearly strangled him. Scott was saved only by the quick thinking of a sailor who caught his feet and supported him, allowing Scott to loosen the rope. Scott's comment to the crowd after this accident was, "The hemp that is to hang me is not grown yet!"

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