Two basejumpers die in Lauterbrunnen accidents
Basejumping, regarded as one of the world's most dangerous sports, has claimed two more victims after a Briton and an Italian plunged to their deaths in central Switzerland, police said on Thursday.
Both accidents occurred on Wednesday near the village of Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland, a popular spot for the sport.
Police in the Swiss canton of Bern said a 30-year-old Italian man jumped from the 'Black Line' peak at Stechelberg but lost control of his route before hitting the cliffside and dying.
Italian media identified him as Uli Emanuele. Profiling Emanuele last year, Vice magazine said he worked as dishwasher and had attempted a series of increasingly dangerous jumps.
His team said he died while filming a video for GoPro, the US manufacturer of action cameras.
The other fatality was a 49-year-old Briton who jumped from the 'High Ultimate' peak at Murren and who also crashed into a cliff. Police said he had not yet been identified.
Basejumpers typically wear wingsuits as they plunge, reaching speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour (120 miles per hour) before deploying a parachute.
The American daredevil Johnny Strange died in the Swiss Alps while attempting a wingsuit jump last October.
Perhaps the most prominent wingsuit-related casualty was the August 2013 death of Mark Sutton, the James Bond parachutist from the opening ceremony at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.
Swiss police said investigations were ongoing into the latest deaths.
One American basejumper was the subject of a difficult nighttime rescue earlier this month after he crashed into cliffs at Lauterbrunnen and broke his legs.
Comments
See Also
Both accidents occurred on Wednesday near the village of Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland, a popular spot for the sport.
Police in the Swiss canton of Bern said a 30-year-old Italian man jumped from the 'Black Line' peak at Stechelberg but lost control of his route before hitting the cliffside and dying.
Italian media identified him as Uli Emanuele. Profiling Emanuele last year, Vice magazine said he worked as dishwasher and had attempted a series of increasingly dangerous jumps.
His team said he died while filming a video for GoPro, the US manufacturer of action cameras.
The other fatality was a 49-year-old Briton who jumped from the 'High Ultimate' peak at Murren and who also crashed into a cliff. Police said he had not yet been identified.
Basejumpers typically wear wingsuits as they plunge, reaching speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour (120 miles per hour) before deploying a parachute.
The American daredevil Johnny Strange died in the Swiss Alps while attempting a wingsuit jump last October.
Perhaps the most prominent wingsuit-related casualty was the August 2013 death of Mark Sutton, the James Bond parachutist from the opening ceremony at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.
Swiss police said investigations were ongoing into the latest deaths.
One American basejumper was the subject of a difficult nighttime rescue earlier this month after he crashed into cliffs at Lauterbrunnen and broke his legs.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.