Perth dad dies after BASE jumping accident in Dolomites
James Lee Nowland crashed on Wednesday afternoon after jumping from prominent rocky peak Sass Pordoi in the Dolomites near the South Tyrolean, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
The 42-year-old father crashed along a hairpin bend road, at an altitude of about 1,700 metres and 400 metres above the landing point in Lupo Bianco, according to the Trentino Alpine and Speleological Rescue Service.
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 around 1pm local time.
A mountain rescue team and a helicopter were deployed to the scene and attempted resuscitation but Mr Nowland could not be revived.
Firefighters also attended the fatal incident. His body is understood to have been taken by ambulance down the valley.
'The doctor tried to do the best but, of course, the collision to the ground was so violent so there was nothing to do for him,' rescuer Andrea Dorigatti told 7NEWS.
Mr Nowland was at the Italian Dolomites for international competition Pordoi BASE Race — a wingsuit race among people competing to become the fastest in the world. Investigators suspect Mr Nowland's parachute didn't open in time due to a technical issue. Credit: James Nowland / Instagram
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.
Before the fatal accident, Mr Nowland had shared a video on his social media of a group preparing for the race.
Mr Nowland is understood to have left behind two young daughters.
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. A mountain rescue team and a helicopter were deployed but he could not be revived. Credit: James Nowland / Instagram
'Hope you're soaring through the clouds doing what you love forever.'
Mr Nowland's social media accounts are full of BASE jumping videos and photos from around the world including Switzerland, China, Australia, and New Zealand.
When Mr Nowland wasn't base jumping he was working as a construction project manager in Perth, according to his LinkedIn.
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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