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BASE JUMPING

US daredevil dies in Swiss wingsuit stunt

America's Johnny Strange has died in the Swiss Alps while attempting a wingsuit jump, the latest casualty in what is regarded as one the most dangerous extreme sports.

US daredevil dies in Swiss wingsuit stunt
Switzerland's Geraldine Fasnacht jumps from the top of the Brevent mountain to fly in wingsuit over the French ski resort of Chamonix in 2014. Photo: AFP/File

Strange, 23, had found fame at age 17 when he became the youngest person to climb the so-called Seven Summits, referring to the highest peak on each continent.

On Thursday afternoon, Strange jumped from a 2,000 metre summit in the Swiss canton of Uri wearing a wingsuit, a piece of equipment that resembles human-size bat wings.

He crashed into the ground, likely after losing control mid-jump, authorities in Uri said.

Police said he made the jump shortly after 12pm  when conditions were reportedly windy, adding that a further investigation would be launched.

The average wingsuit jump lasts barely a minute and within eight seconds, the jumper reaches speeds of 200 kilometres per hour (120 miles per hour).

A video from 2014 of Johnny Strange performing a wingsuit jump

Aside from Strange, perhaps the most prominent wingsuit-related casualty was the August 2013 death of Mark Sutton, the James Bond parachutist from the opening ceremony at the London Olympics.

The films released by jumpers with GoPro cameras attached to their heads are almost impossible to watch, with the jumpers seemingly having no control as they descend at extraordinary speeds, often slipping through narrow mountain passages.

But enthusiasts say the focus on danger and death undermines the incredible skill and preparation required of a successful jump.

A 2011 image of Johnny Strange. Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images North America/AFP

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Villages across Swiss Alps set to fight proposed base jumping ban

A proposal to ban base jumping in the Bernese Highlands has drawn criticism, with locals countering claims that the extreme sport is dangerous.

Villages across Swiss Alps set to fight proposed base jumping ban
Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Kiener Nellen, a National Councillor in Bern, has instructed the Federal Council to consider a nationwide ban on the practice. 

Nellen said that the dangerous sport was harmful to Switzerland’s reputation, while also putting local rescue staff at risk. 

Nellen told the Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen broadcasting company that base jumping ”endangers the reputation of Switzerland’s tourism industry and the Bernese Highlands”. 

An average of 4.5 deaths per year

More and more base jumps take place in Switzerland every year, with more than 30,000 completed in 2018.

While base jumping is becoming a more established practice, it remains unsafe. 

READ: British base jumper dies in Lauterbrunnen

Four people died base jumping in 2017 in Switzerland, down from nine in 2016 and ten in 2015. A total of 81 people have died in Switzerland since 2002, an average of 4.5 per year. 

'Not thoughtless weirdos'

Several have spoken out against the ban, arguing that the practice is becoming safer – and that it is crucial to the local economy. 

Aside from the money spent by the base jumpers when they stay in Switzerland, they are also required to buy a ‘Landing Card’. 

The money from these cards is paid back to local farmers who offer their properties as landing pads and began as an initiative of the base jumpers themselves. 

Base jumping. Michael Mathes / AFP

Annette Weber, who works at a cafe in the Bernese Highlands, told Swiss online newspaper Watson that the stereotype of irresponsible, risk-taking base jumpers was not accurate. 

“They’re not half-wild weirdos who throw themselves thoughtlessly off the cliffs,” she said. 

“It would be totally ridiculous to criminalize base jumping.” 

Lauterbrunnen Mayor Martin Stäger (SVP) agreed, saying that a ban would be not be effective. 

“The base jumpers mostly stick to the rules in our valley,” he said. 

“A ban would be completely counterproductive. How can such a ban be controlled?

“Then people would just jump at the unofficial, more dangerous places.”

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