“The simplest answer is wingsuits,” says Webb. The greater cause for concern, though, is that the BFL appears to be trending at an accelerated rate-more than 260 of those names have been recorded since 2000. The BASE Fatality List (BFL), an unofficial and non-comprehensive wiki that records BASE fatalities dating back to 1981 for educational purposes within the community, surpassed 300 names. Like moths to a flame, wingsuit BASE jumpers from around the world descend on the Alps each summer to get their fix.Īside from the record fatality count, the BASE world hit another morbid milestone in August. Summer is a time when the European Alps-with its myriad locations that feature highly accessible, legal, and very large cliffs from which to jump-are devoid of snow and are considered to be in good condition for flying. “And, honestly, I haven’t even been keeping up with who’s been going in. “This is easily the worst season I can remember,” he says. (I profiled Webb last year for his unique, scientific approach to opening new wingsuit jumps around Moab.) Navy, current private pilot, and active wingsuit BASE jumper from Moab, Utah. “It’s been a horrific last couple of months,” says Richard Webb, a former fighter pilot for the U.S.

The fatal spree has spurred practitioners to dub summer as “Wingsuit BASE Killing Season.” Twenty-three of those fatalities occurred this summer-six deaths in June, two in July, and 15 in August. This has already become the deadliest year on record for BASE jumping, with at least 31 deaths thus far. The end of summer can’t come fast enough for many in the speed-fueled world of wingsuit BASE jumping (BASE is an acronym standing for the types of objects participants may leap from: Buildings, Antennas, bridges-aka, “Spans”-and the Earth itself, in the form of cliffs or promontories). It said: “Sat Dex was live.”Īfter 36 hours, the video was finally removed. Meanwhile, a rather grim irony remained, as per Facebook’s design protocol for these types of posts. The social media site slapped on a disclaimer: “Warning - Graphic Video.” Yet the views continued to pile up. He was 28.įacebook did not immediately take down the video, despite outrage from many commenters, including his family. He was Italian, but lived in Freiburg, Germany. I later learned this man’s real name was Armin Schmieder. Cows continue milling around in what I’ve imagined to be idyllic mountain scenery somewhere in Europe, with giant blue limestone cliffs towering over rolling green pastures. Suddenly I hear the man emit an acute bellow. The turbulent din lasts no more than a few seconds. The sound of airflow grows, reaching a ferocious decibel. The video goes dark as the phone is now inside his wingsuit, ostensibly in his hand, and still live-streaming to Facebook. “Today you fly with me,” he says in German. He zips up his suit, flashing more smiles with a sort of nervous or excited energy, the kind you might associate with a child opening a birthday gift. He gives the finger to the camera and grins. He has dark hair, a sleeve tattoo, and a Hollywood-style beard. The video opens with him stepping into a wingsuit. I even watched one of these deaths in real time, live-streamed on Facebook.Ī guy with the handle of “Sat Dex” popped up in my feed on the morning of August 26, broadcasting himself via Facebook Live. In researching 2016’s dramatic rise in BASE jumping deaths, I was almost unable to keep up with the pace with which people were dying.

Feed my addiction tattoo llc