James Nowland: Friends of Perth BASE jumper who died in Italy raise money to bring his body home to family
James Lee Nowland crashed on Wednesday after jumping from prominent rocky peak Sass Pordoi in the Dolomites near the South Tyrolean, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
The 42-year-old crashed along a hairpin bend road, at an altitude of about 1,700 metres and 400 metres above the landing point, according to alpine rescue services.
Investigators suspect Mr Nowland's parachute didn't open in time due to a technical issue.
The group of fellow Australians he was with alerted the rescue services.
A mountain rescue team and a helicopter were deployed but he could not be revived.
His self-proclaimed 'Australian family' started a
GoFundMe
on Friday to 'bring James home' to his wife and two young daughters.
'It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the sudden and devastating loss of our beloved weapon father, work mate, all round legend James who passed away tragically while overseas,' fundraiser organiser Damian Harris wrote.
'James was more than just family and a mate – his presence lit up every room, and their absence now leaves a space no words can fill.
'We are creating this GoFundMe to help cover the unexpected costs of bringing James home to his family to support his girls left behind.
'Any donation, no matter how small, will go directly towards ensuring we can honour James's memory in the way they truly deserve.'
Before the fatal accident, Mr Nowland had shared a video on his social media of a group preparing for the Pordoi BASE Race — a wingsuit race among people competing to become the fastest in the world.
The competition, which was running from July 16 to July 18, sees racers jump from the top of Sass Pordoi and fly as fast as they can down the mountain to the finish line.
Adrian Nowland shared a heartfelt tribute to his brother alongside a picture of them together in the snow in British Columbia.
'Rest in peace brother! Wish we had more times like this together,' he said.
'Hope you're soaring through the clouds doing what you love forever.'
BASE jumping refers to the extreme sport of jumping off elevated fixed objects using parachutes or wingsuits, with the word an acronym for building, antenna, span and earth.
BASE jumping is illegal in Australia, specifically in national parks and on private property without permission.
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