Most skydivers spend their careers thinking about how to land softly. Tanaboworn Sirikunakornkun spent the last year thinking about how to land high.
On March 14, 2026, the 48-year-old Thai skydiver — known affectionately as "Super Toom" — touched down on the summit plateau of Ojos del Salado, the world's highest active volcano, at an altitude of 5,442 meters (17,854 feet) above sea level. Guinness World Records officially ratified the feat on May 23, naming it the highest-altitude landing of a skydive in history.
The new mark eclipsed the previous record of 5,317 meters (17,444 feet), set in 2023.
A rainbow-colored summit
Ojos del Salado straddles the border of Chile and Argentina deep in the Atacama region. Its 6,893-meter summit is the second-highest peak in the Western Hemisphere after Aconcagua, and its volcanic minerals streak the slopes in oranges, yellows, and reds.
"The view was incredibly beautiful," Super Toom told Guinness, "unlike anything I had ever seen before. It is a truly amazing place, with colours created by various minerals that make the volcano look like a rainbow."
The dive was supported by HALO2, Atacamacopter, Chilean civil aviation authority DGAC, and Spondylus. Landing safely on a 5,400-meter plateau is a brutal piece of aviation choreography — thin air means parachutes generate less drag, descent rates climb, and pilots have a tiny margin to read winds that swirl unpredictably around volcanic terrain.
A late start, a steep climb
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Super Toom's record is how new he is to the sport. The real-estate entrepreneur, university professor, and executive in the Thai Parliament only began skydiving in 2024 — barely two years ago. He has since logged 1,250 jumps.
That kind of progression is unusual. Setting an altitude world record is the sort of milestone most jumpers chase after a decade or more. Super Toom said the motivation was both personal and patriotic: he wanted "people around the world to recognize and feel pride for Thailand."
He chose Ojos del Salado at the suggestion of project directors PH and Nadia. "After exploring it," he said, "we discovered the incredible beauty of the highest volcano in the world."
The nickname, and the philosophy
The "Toom" was a childhood nickname from his parents. The "Super," he says, came later — added to mark the responsibility he had been given through his various roles in Thai politics and academia.
"Every human has special abilities within themselves. Everyone can be 'Super' in their own way," he told Guinness. "We begin great things by doing them for our families and for the greater good."
He says he felt "confident and happy" during the dive itself, and "proud and deeply moved" when he learned the record had been ratified. With one altitude record under his belt, he is now eyeing another — this time on home soil in Thailand.
Why this kind of record matters
High-altitude skydive landings push the edge of what is mechanically and physiologically possible. The data collected from successful jumps like this one feeds directly into emergency parachuting protocols, military operations, and search-and-rescue procedures in mountainous terrain.
But beyond the technical value, it is also just a deeply human story: a man in his late forties learning a new craft, throwing himself out of an airplane over an active volcano, and walking away holding a Guinness World Records certificate.
"Just remember," Super Toom said, "don't let anyone look down on or destroy your dreams. Stay determined, dedicated, disciplined — and the universe will grant you strength."
