Sheffield man completes Europe’s highest bungee in his biggest fundraising effort yet
A Sheffield man has completed the highest bungee jump in Europe in an effort to raise money for Epilepsy Action.
Sam Evans, 24, jumped 220m off Verzasca Dam in Switzerland to fundraise in memory of his friend, Jamie Griffiths, who passed away in April 2025 aged just 25.
Jamie and Sam became friends while studying at university. “He was one of those people you meet and just know you’re going to get on with,” Sam said.
He explained that Jamie loved to travel, so Sam brings a vial of Jamie’s ashes and a photo of him whenever he goes abroad. He even had the vial with him while completing the bungee jump and dressed in the Liverpool football kit, who Jamie supported.
Jamie’s mother, Julie said: “I am so grateful when Jamie's friends choose to do any fundraising in Jamie's honour. But raising money is not the only aspect of fundraising. It's also about remembering Jamie and raising awareness of epilepsy, and how dangerous it can be.”
Julie explained that Jamie did not often talk about epilepsy due to the stigma and misunderstanding around it. Epilepsy is not visible, which means that it can be overlooked or forgotten about.
Jamie’s family and friends have chosen to fundraise for Epilepsy Action, a charity that helps people affected by epilepsy, providing advice, support networks, and campaigns for improved healthcare.
Julie said: “Grief can be very lonely and keeping Jamie's memory alive is so very important to me. Knowing that I have the support of his friends to do this has been amazing, and also reminds me of how loved he was by them all.”
The bungee jump is not the only activity that Sam said Jamie inspired him to do. He has also run the Budapest Marathon, completed the world’s longest single-drop abseil, gone paragliding and even flew a plane on the anniversary of Jamie’s death.
He said: “I didn’t expect him to pass away. It’s cliche, but if you want to do something, just do it.”
Together, Jamie’s friends have raised over £6.5k for Epilepsy Action. There is still time to support Sam’s fundraising here: https://www.justgiving.com/team/jamiegriffiths