Man dies in extreme sport accident

A 20-year old New Zealander lost his life in the northern Italian region of Trentino Alto Adige while practising an extreme sport called "Base Jumping" that involves jumping from high ridge and avoiding all jutting objects before opening a parachute. The man had been in the area for about a month and had been taking part in the dangerous sport on a daily basis. Base jumping involves launching oneself from fixed objects and using parachutes to break one's travelling speed, all the while avoiding fixed structures that jut out into the fall trajectory. "Base" is an acronym that stands for the objects that one is permitted to jump from, or buildings, antennas, as well as spans such as bridges and earth locations such as mountains and cliffs. The jumper was part of a group of about 10 enthusiasts gathered there from the four corners of the earth that would jump each day from the same location. The deadly accident was seen by people passing by who immediately called the local authorities. Forest guards were the first to determine the man was dead and then organized for the body to be taken away by helicopter. The man had jumped from a local peak called the Eagles Beak and was avoiding the jutting mountain wall during his plummet to earth. Some three quarters of the way down, he sought to open his parachute and hit the rock face violently. At that time, he was probably travelling at a speed of about 200 kilometres an hour. The overall fall from the mountain ridge was about 1,100 meters. The mountain peak is located about halfway between Trento and Riva del Garda. Some 10 people have lost their lives in similar activities in the past 10 years.