Mark Andrews, a British citizen, tragically lost his life over the weekend in Trentino, Italy, after falling over 400 meters from a mountaintop. Andrews, an experienced base jumper, was wearing both a wingsuit and a parachute at the time of the incident. However, it remains uncertain whether he was able to deploy the parachute in time to save himself.
Originally from Redruth in Cornwall, Andrews had been residing in Bucharest, Romania, with his wife. Although he embarked on the jump alone, another base jumper witnessed the tragedy and promptly alerted emergency services. Subsequently, a mountain rescue helicopter was deployed to recover Andrews’ body, which was later transported to a nearby hospital while his family awaits its repatriation.
Andrews had accumulated a noteworthy level of experience in base jumping, with over 600 jumps to his credit. Despite entering the sport relatively late, he quickly gained the admiration of the community with his daring approach. According to DailyMail, one of his acquaintances in the base jumping community remarked, “He came to base jumping quite late. He’s only been doing it since 2014 but he packed a lot into those nine years.” The same source described him as fearless and highlighted his participation in base-jumping events in Italy and jumps from various structures worldwide, such as bridges and skyscrapers.
It is notable that Andrews met his untimely fate in the same location where another British base jumper lost his life on the same day the previous year. Dylan Morris Roberts died in 2022 after colliding with a rock during his descent when his parachute failed to open.
Experts have identified the area where the accident occurred as one of the most perilous spots for base jumping. The site is considered suitable only for experienced individuals due to the intricate maneuvers required. The initial 400 meters involve navigating rock and tree ledges, followed by a 1500-meter freefall, which can pose significant challenges.
BASE jumping, essentially skydiving without an airplane, involves leaping from fixed objects and employing a parachute for the descent. The acronym BASE refers to Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and Earth (cliffs), which are common jumping points. Despite the thrill it offers, this extreme sport is accompanied by substantial danger, as reports indicate that more than 400 people have lost their lives in the past two decades.
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