An Australian man has died in a base jumping accident in northern Italy during a competition. James Nowland, 42, from Perth, was taking part in the Pordoi Base race in the Dolomites region when the incident occurred on Wednesday.
According to Italian news agency Ansa, Nowland jumped from the peak of Sass Pordoi but his parachute may not have opened in time due to a technical issue. He crashed at an altitude of approximately 1,700 metres, about 400 metres from the intended landing point at Lupo Bianco. Doctors attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful.
The Australian Base Association described Nowland as an “experienced and loved member of the worldwide Base jumping community”. A spokesperson said he had been “jumping for many years” and “loved spending time with his friends in the beautiful mountain environments of Europe”.
“All Base jumpers accept that the activity has risks, but this accident has still come as a shock,” the spokesperson added. “Our thoughts are with his family and all others who knew James at this difficult time.”
Base jumping is an extreme sport involving jumps from fixed objects such as buildings, antennas, bridges, or cliffs. The Pordoi Base competition features top wingsuit athletes racing to be the fastest, jumping from the mountain and deploying parachutes to land safely.
