Australian BASE jumper James Nowland dies in Italian Dolomites accident

Australia Broadcast Center

18-07-2025

Tributes are flowing for a Perth man who died in an accident while BASE jumping in the Italian Dolomites.
James Nowland who lived in Western Australia, died on Wednesday in the famous mountain ranges in Italy's north-east.
Italian media reported the 42-year-old died after leaping from the summit of Sass Pordoi in Val di Fassa on Wednesday afternoon local time.
It was reported emergency services were called after the crash at an altitude of 1,700 metres, likely due to a technical problem that prevented Mr Nowland from opening his canopy.
"Rest in peace … Hope you're soaring through the clouds doing what you love forever," his brother posted to social media.
"He left us too early but doing what he loves."
BASE jumping is an extreme sport that involves jumping off high objects, using a parachute to descend to the ground.
BASE is acronym for buildings, antennas, spans (bridges) and Earth (cliffs).
The Australian BASE association described the dangers of the sport as "obvious and very real" and says it is an activity to progress onto after mastering skydiving.
Meanwhile, Austrian extreme sports pioneer Felix Baumgartner has died in a paragliding accident in central Italy on Thursday.
Baumgartner made headlines around the world in October 2012 when he jumped from a balloon 38 kilometres above Earth, becoming the first skydiver to break the sound barrier, typically measured at more than 1,110 kph.