Two basejumpers die in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

in switzerland •  8 years ago 

Basejumping, regarded as one of the world's most dangerous sports, has claimed two more victims after a Briton and an Italian plunged to their deaths in central Switzerland, police said on Thursday.

Both accidents occurred on Wednesday near the village of Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Oberland, a popular spot for the sport.

Police in the Swiss canton of Bern said a 30-year-old Italian man flying the 'Black Line' at Stechelberg lost control of his route before hitting the cliffside and dying. Italian media identified him as Uli Emanuele. His team said he died while filming a video for GoPro, the US manufacturer of action cameras.

The other fatality was a 49-year-old Briton who jumped the 'High Ultimate' at Murren and who also crashed into a cliff. Police said he had not yet been identified.

Basejumpers typically wear wingsuits as they plunge, reaching speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour (120 miles per hour) before deploying a parachute. Every year about 25 people around the world die while pursuing the sport, with 26 fatalities so far in 2016 already.

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