German BASE jumper dies in Portuguese accident
A German BASE jumper died Monday when his
parachute failed to open in time after jumping off a cliff in Nazare, central
Portugal, maritime authorities said.
The unidentified 50-year-old man and a friend had leapt off a cliff about 100 metres high at a site known among surfers for its large waves.
The jumper hit another rocky outcrop, about 20 metres high, "and attempts to resuscitate him failed," Nazare port captain Paulo Agostinho said.
BASE jumping is a particularly dangerous sport because enthusiasts have little time to open their parachutes after leaping from either a building, antenna, bridge, or cliff.
It's name is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects that someone can jump from: building, antenna, span and earth (cliff).
It's often seen as a fringe extreme sport because of the danger attached to it.
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The unidentified 50-year-old man and a friend had leapt off a cliff about 100 metres high at a site known among surfers for its large waves.
The jumper hit another rocky outcrop, about 20 metres high, "and attempts to resuscitate him failed," Nazare port captain Paulo Agostinho said.
BASE jumping is a particularly dangerous sport because enthusiasts have little time to open their parachutes after leaping from either a building, antenna, bridge, or cliff.
It's name is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects that someone can jump from: building, antenna, span and earth (cliff).
It's often seen as a fringe extreme sport because of the danger attached to it.
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