Death in BASE
Analyzing 30 years of fatalities in Switzerland
by Marcel (SBA)
Photo: Marcel Geser
How many active BASE jumpers are there in the world? By “active,” I mean people who do at least 24 BASE jumps a year. Are there 2,000? 5,000? 8,000? I have asked experienced jumpers and manufacturers of BASE equipment. Nobody knows, but some would estimate the number at around 5,000. What's your guess?
BASE jumping is an unregulated sport. There are no public authorities overseeing it, no licensing system and no fixed structures that give us reasonable figures. We only know how many landing cards the "Italian Base Association" (about 800) and the "Swiss Base Association" (about 600) sell each year. This gives an indication but does not allow any extrapolation.
What about BASE numbers? To date, about 2,700 jumpers have received a BASE number. Many of them have stopped jumping and some have died. There are also numerous jumpers who never apply for a BASE number.
The only statistic that provides exact figures is the "BASE Fatality List," better known as the BFL. We don't know how many people are happily hugging each other after a great jump, but we do know how many people have died while jumping. That is sad, but we should be grateful for the hard work that Brad Patfield and Michal Šlezingr are putting into it. The BFL is still our best source.
In April 2024, we celebrated the "Xaver Bongard Day" in Lauterbrunnen. Xaver Bongard (BASE #362) was the first known Swiss BASE jumper and the first BASE fatality in Switzerland. “Xaver Bongard Day” was a wonderful event with an incredible amount of good energy. Xaver's mentor and close friend Will Oxx (BASE #41) travelled from the USA especially for the 30th anniversary of his friend's death. Xaver's mother, Rosemarie, his sister, Silvia, and many of his old friends were also at the landing area as a large group of people jumped from the Nose in Xaver's memory. A magical moment!
Will Oxx and Xaver's mother, Rosemarie, at "Xaver Bongard Day". Photo: Marcel Geser
Including Xaver, a total of 118 people have died BASE jumping in Switzerland since 1994 (as of July 15, 2024). Unfortunately, this makes Switzerland the world’s deadliest place to BASE jump. Almost a quarter of all the deaths have occurred in Switzerland.
After Xaver's accident, it was quiet for six years. It wasn't until 2001 that another BASE jumper died in Switzerland. Since 2001, there has only been one year (2005) in which Switzerland didn't record a BASE fatality.
As the number of jumpers increased, so did the number of deaths. Since 2001, an average of 5 BASE jumpers have died each year. The worst year was 2018 with 11 fatalities.
Source for all diagrams: BASE Fatality List
Fatalities in Switzerland:
Three quarters of all fatal accidents occurred in Lauterbrunnen (55%) and in the Bernese Alps (21%). Walenstadt is responsible for a further 12%. The exits with the most accidents are "High Ultimate" (14), "Sputnik" (9), "High Nose" and "Via Ferrata" (8 persons each).
In terms of the nationality of the jumpers, the USA leads the list with 17 deaths. France and Switzerland follow with 13 fatalities each. As there are very few women in BASE jumping, it is not surprising that 96% of the fatalities were men. The big majority of fatalities occurred during flights in wingsuits (63%), slick and two-piece jumps tied at 15 and 14% respectively, and one-piece trackers are the least likely to have a fatal accident (8%).
Fatalities by region
Fatalities by nationality
Why do so many people die in Switzerland?
1.
Switzerland is home to Lauterbrunnen - an idyllic valley with sheer rock faces. Since the 1990s, Lauterbrunnen has been a mecca for BASE jumpers from all over the world. But there is a catch. Lauterbrunnen is not Monte Brento and it is not the Troll Wall. The jumps in Lauterbrunnen are more challenging and are not suitable for beginners. However, the valley is attractive as you can get to the jumps by cable car or train. On a summer day, motivated jumpers can easily complete eight jumps. The combination of "not beginner friendly" and the high number of jumps is fatal.
The SBA estimates that between 15,000 and 20,000 BASE jumps are made in the Lauterbrunnen Valley each year. Out of a total of 118 deaths since 1994, 64 occurred in Lauterbrunnen.
2.
BASE jumping is legal in Switzerland. The "Swiss Base Association" has issued rules in cooperation with the authorities, landowners, communities, helicopter companies and paragliding clubs, to protect our sport and secure its future. These rules are not laws, they are "gentlemen's agreements." Anyone who is respectful can jump in Switzerland without any major restrictions. This liberal attitude attracts jumpers from all over the world to come to Switzerland.
3.
The Swiss Alps are breathtaking and offer countless opportunities for BASE jumping. However, the climate in the mountains is challenging and weather can change quickly. There are strong winds, thermal turbulence, thunderstorms, clouds, and fog. Many jumpers who are not familiar with jumping in the mountains underestimate the alpine weather and jump in poor conditions. This is especially true in Walenstadt.
Fatalities in Lauterbrunnen:
Why do most people die in wingsuits?
At 63%, wingsuit pilots die most frequently. One-piece trackers, on the other hand, are the least likely to die (8%).
Of course, wingsuits have been around a lot longer than one-piece tracking suits. But there are other reasons why tracking in a one-piece suit is your safest option: 1. You can pull at any time. 2. The suit has a good glide ratio, but it’s still not good enough to make you want to dive into extreme proximity lines. 3. One-piece suits take off more slowly than wingsuits. The weak start-arc does not allow even experienced trackers to perform technically demanding exits that require fast flying. 4. Unlike a two-piece suit, you don't have to be a genius to get a lot of distance from the terrain.
If you control your ego, you can grow old in your Teletubby-suit.
Wingsuits, on the other hand, have some disadvantages. They quickly give the jumper the feeling of being in control. Flying a wingsuit seems to be easy.
When the first commercial wingsuits came on the market, many were convinced that the most dangerous years of the sport were over. After all, a wingsuit would take you far away from the wall. But humans work differently. Wingsuit flying is more fun when the terrain is whizzing past you. One of the four most common causes of fatal wingsuit accidents is flying too close to the ground. But even more dangerous than flying too close is flying too slow (the second most common cause of death). Unfortunately, many jumpers do not know their wingsuit properly, which is the third most common cause of death. Few go skydiving regularly or test their new suit in the tunnel. Many switch from a small to a large wingsuit after only a few jumps. And the fourth most common cause of death: people don't study the terrain and the weather well enough.
Looking at the bigger picture
Fatalities worldwide:
Wingsuit and slick fatalities almost balance each other out (212 wingsuit, 202 slick). However, this has to do with the fact that the first 69 fatalities (1981-2002) were slick jumps.
39 jumpers died in two-piece tracking suits and 17 in one-piece suits. In ten cases, it is not known which suit the jumper was wearing.
A few years ago, after I pulled low and landed in a tree, a wise man told me: "The moment you push yourself off the rock, devil’s horns grow out of your head. They make you feel invincible and immortal. One of the biggest challenges in BASE jumping is to push those devil’s horns back into your head." (Thank you James.)
As SBA board members, death visits us a little more often than it does ordinary jumpers. Will Oxx described it well in his tribute to Xaver: “With the highest of highs comes the lowest of lows.” - It’s no secret that BASE jumping can be cruel. But let’s not forget that we can decide for ourselves how much Tabasco we want to put into our burrito. No matter how extraordinary, funny, and talented we are, when we die, we're dead, and our friends live on. There are 118 people on the list. Let’s try not to be number 119.