American BASE Jumper Dies in Swiss Alps After Misjudging Launch
An American BASE jumper died on Friday afternoon after attempting a BASE jump in the Swiss Alps, misjudging his launch, hitting a cliff, and falling hundreds of feet into a gorge.
The 44-year-old man had been preparing for a jump from the Sex Rouge peak in the Alps near Lake Geneva when he misjudged the launch, falling to his death from the 9,514-feet peak.
The man has not been identified for security reasons but authorities say he was from Dallas. He had been wearing a wing suit when he jumped; according to the AP, a wing suit allows base jumpers to "glide down rather than fall before engaging their parachute." The man's body has not been recovered yet due to poor weather conditions, the AP reports.
[Image via AP]