A British base jumper has died after plunging 400 meters from a mountaintop in Trentino, Italy, on Saturday, Express.co.uk reported. Mark Andrews, 65, was killed instantly when he struck the rock face in Trentino while wearing a wingsuit.
The accident occurred on Saturday morning at a popular base jumping spot in the Italian Dolomites at Paganella, near the city of Trento.
Mr Andrews was reportedly wearing a wingsuit at the time and a parachute, however, it remains unclear if he was unable to deploy it.
Notably, he travelled to the jumping site on his own before a fellow base jumper called the emergency services after witnessing the accident. A mountain rescue helicopter was soon brought in to recover his body, which was later flown to a nearby hospital to await repatriation.
Originally from Redruth in Cornwall, Mr. Andrews had been living in Bucharest, Romania, with his wife. He was a retired engineer and thrillseeker, who had completed nearly 600 jumps, as per News.com.au.
Base jumping is an extreme sport that involves leaping from fixed objects such as buildings, bridges, and cliff faces, using a parachute to descend to the ground. According to experts, the area where the incident took place is considered one of the most dangerous spots to base jump.
Police are still investigating the circumstances around the tragic fall. In a statement, the UK Foreign Office said it was working with local police following the death of a British man in Italy.
As per Italian media reports, another British base jumper died at the exact same spot in the Italian Dolomites on the same day last year. According to an Independent report, Dylan Morris Roberts died after hitting a rock on his descent as the parachute failed to open.
