FAYETTEVILLE, WV (WFLA) – Parachutists from all over the world gathered in West Virginia on Saturday to take part in a heart-stopping tradition.

The annual Bridge Day Festival is the only time people are legally allowed to jump off the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville.

Base-jumping daredevils launch themselves off the bridge above white-water rapids to celebrate the tradition.

The bridge stands at 876 feet and is considered the third-highest bridge in the country.

The festival began in 1980. Organizers estimated about 80,000 people would show up this year.