An Italian daredevil live streamed his own death after he BASE jumped off Kandersteg in the Swiss Alps. The man, who was identified locally as Armin Schmieder, 28, took the fatal plunge from the peak which forms part of the Dolomites mountain range.
Video footage before the incident shows Armin getting into a red and blue wingsuit. He fastened the outfit as he stood against a backdrop of blue sky before putting on a pair of sunglasses and a helmet.
Throughout the preparation, Armin could be seen grinning several times at the camera.
Once he had prepared himself for the leap, Armin raised the camera to reveal a breathtaking view of mountains and the cliff edge ahead of him. According to The Independent, the final clear footage of the man showed him waving farewell before he seemed to place the recording device in his pocket and zip it up.
During the filming, Armin said: “Today you fly with me.”, reports the Mirror.
After Armin placed the camera into his pocket, the video carried on for around three and a half minutes, during this time he counts down from three to one and appears to take off.
Viewers can then hear the sound of him soaring through the air for about 25 seconds but then the footage falls silent.
On the livestream, panic ensued as members of Armin’s family desperately tried to work out what happened.
One asked: “Where is he? And what happened?” BASE jumping, involving parachuting or wingsuit flying from a fixed structure or cliff, is recognised as one of the world’s most perilous recreational activities.
BASE is an acronym for Buildings, Antennas (referring to radio masts), Spans (bridges) and Earth (cliffs), which are the platforms from which the parachutists leap. The sport has a fatality and injury rate 43 times higher than parachuting from a plane due to the lower altitudes.
Over 450 BASE jumping fatalities have been recorded since 1981, according to a list kept by BASE-jumping publication Blinc.
Earlier the same month Armin passed away, BASE jumper Uli Emanuele also filmed his own death while executing a stunt in the Dolomite mountains.
Several jurisdictions globally have outlawed BASE jumping due to its highly dangerous nature. In some instances such as building and antenna jumps, the activity is often carried out covertly without the owner’s permission, leading to potential charges such as trespassing.
Attitudes towards the sport vary significantly depending on location. In Norway, base jumpers are welcomed at the mountain of Kjerag where they can freely practice their craft.
Many sites in the European Alps on the Eiger and near Chamonix also permit jumpers.
However, on bridges like the Europabruecke near Innsbruck, Austria, the practice is prohibited.
Australia also maintains some of the strictest positions on BASE jumping, specifically prohibiting the activity from certain landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge.