BASE jumper dies in Turkey

[BillyVance 34]

Noticed this earlier...

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-base-jumper-ian-flanders-dies-turkey-wing-suit-base-jumping-deaths/

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[ryoder 1,590]

Various copies of the same low-res video are all over the net. The canopy is out but not inflated, and judging by the short length of what is trailing, I'd guess a horseshoe mal.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[normiss 803]

Live Leak has 2.
I'm guessing the screamer is someone close to the jumper.
The impact sound is disturbing.

[justme12001 0]

I was on the ground at bridge day 4 years ago (i think) when the wingsuiter hit the water. I was maybe 250ft away from where he impacted. You are right, that is a very disturbing sound!

[BillyVance 34]

justme12001

I was on the ground at bridge day 4 years ago (i think) when the wingsuiter hit the water. I was maybe 250ft away from where he impacted. You are right, that is a very disturbing sound!

I've seen the video...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[grimmie 186]

Ian was a hell of a great guy. He jumped at my DZ often. He was a diver, so doing aerials were usually no problem for him. On this jump he caught his pc on his leg and had a horseshoe mal he couldn't clear.

The SoCal skydive and BASE community and his many friends world wide are reeling from this.

[JohnMitchell 16]

My condolences to all who knew him. It's a shame this happens. We have to realize skydiving has its risks, and BASE multiplies those risks many times over.

[MikeJD 0]

Condolences to Ian's family and friends.

I'm always surprised by the hostility in the comments section of news articles like this. It seems a popular view that people get what they deserve for jumping off things. I don't expect non-jumpers to 'get' it - that's fair enough - but at the same time there's no need to pour scorn on those who enjoy something that you consider would be unacceptably dangerous to you. Why would you take it personally?

I think a certain amount of it is jealousy, and obviously there's no concept of the preparation that goes in to this sort of thing - but a lot of it comes down to the assumption that BASE jumpers are showing off, instead of just doing their thing. That's not helped by the way the articles are written.

These comments also remind us that people have very little understanding of risk - how "extreme sports" participants manage it, and how it applies to themselves when they're texting and driving, or living on junk food. People seem to want to assume that they'll be just fine so long as they don't do anything stupid - but to paraphrase a popular saying in these parts: "You can do everything right in this life and still die." 100% fatality rate so far.

[tkhayes 348]

Quote

Why would you take it personally?

because people have empathy for people dying needlessly. and 'needlessly' is a subjective line-in-the-sand that varies from person to person.

Even you have 'biases' about what you think is stupid and what you think is not.

I am tired of watching friends die, and I will continue to speak up about what I think is safe and not. And I will act when i can make things safer that I am involved in.

Because I can, not because I am necessarily right.