A British national named Mark Andrews lost his life after plunging more than 400 metres down from a mountaintop in Trentino, Italy, on Saturday.
Andrews, an experience base jumper, was killed instantly upon the impact. He was wearing his wingsuit as well as a parachute. However, it remains unclear if he was able to deploy the chute in time.
Originally from Redruth in Cornwall, Andrews, a veteran with over 600 jumps to his resume, had been living in Bucharest, Romania, with his wife. He went to the spot of the jump on his own but it was another base jumper that rang the emergency services after witnessing the incident.
Afterwards, a mountain rescue helicopter was pressed into service to recover the body which was later flown to a nearby hospital as Andrews’ family awaits its repatriation.
“He came to base jumping quite late. He’s only been doing it since 2014 but he packed a lot into those nine years,” one of the base jumpers that knew Andrews was quoted as saying by DailyMail.
“He was fearless and will be missed. He was a regular in Italy at various base-jumping events but had also base-jumped all over the world off bridges and skyscrapers.”
The tragic fall of Andrews came in the exact same spot where another British base jumper died on the same day last year. On June 2, 2022, Dylan Morris Roberts died after hitting a rock on his descent as the parachute failed to open.
According to experts, the area where the incident took place is considered one of the most dangerous spots to base jump. Only experts are recommended to perform the extremely tricky manoeuvre. There are rock and tree ledges in the first 400 metres before the 1500 metres straight down descent which can become difficult to negotiate.
What is BASE jumping?
BASE jumping is basically skydiving but without the airplane. Thrill seekers in this sport leap from fixed objects and use a parachute to descend to the ground. Since Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and Earth (cliffs, for example) are the most commonly used jumping points, the sport received its acronym, B.A.S.E, which is more commonly called BASE.
Despite the adrenaline rush, the extreme sport is high in danger and according to reports, more than 400 people have been killed in the last 20 years.
(With inputs from agencies)
