An Australian father has died in a ‘freak’ BASE jumping accident during a competition in northern Italy following a suspected parachute failure.
Perth man James Lee Nowland, 42, died on Wednesday afternoon after jumping the summit of Sass Pordoi, a rocky plateau in the Dolomites.
Investigators believe a technical issue prevented him from opening his parachute, causing him to crash onto a road some 400metres off-course.
The 42-year-old crashed onto a roadway at an altitude of about 1,700metres, according to alpine rescue services.
A group of Australians in his group alerted rescue services who were unable to revive him after rushing to his location by land and helicopter.
‘We tried to do our best to save (him)… there was nothing to do for him,’ rescuer Andrea Dorigatti told Seven News.
‘I asked the friends and they told me that the problem was with the parachute that didn’t get open.’
Mr Nowland’s brother Andrew issued a heartfelt tribute on social media after learning of the tragic accident.
James Nowland leaves behind a wife, Candace, (pictured) and children
‘Rest in peace brother! Wish we had more times like this together,’ he said, alongside a picture of the pair in British Columbia.
‘Hope you’re soaring through the clouds doing what you love forever.’
Prior to the fatal accident, Mr Nowland shared a video to social media of people preparing for the Pordoi BASE Race.
Competitors in the popular wingsuit competition, scheduled to run from July 16 to July 18, compete to fly at high-speeds down the rocky summit.
BASE jumping is an extreme sport involving the use of parachutes or wing suits from high elevations – the acronym stands for building, antenna, span and earth.
Friends reportedly described the incident as the result of a ‘freak’ accident.
Accidents are an unavoidable part of the extreme sport, with Mr Nowland having publicly mourned his own friend’s death in an accident in Switzerland last year.
The 42-year-old was an experienced BASE jumper, whose social media pages are littered with heart-stopping footage of his past conquests.
Mr Nowland was an experienced BASE jumper
The 42-year-old has been remembered as a passionate adventurer
In one video shared to Instagram in September last year, Mr Nowland filmed himself jumping from a mountain in the Dolomites.
‘Little ripper in the Dolomites on the way to start training in the new suit,’ he wrote.
‘Been a hard year with missing friends but it’s nice to be back in the mountains to process and heal.’
The beloved adventurer leaves behind a wife and children.
More to come.
