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BASE seasons
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BASE jumps
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WS BASE jumps
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Skydives
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WS skydives
Incident
- Incident category:
- BASE Fatality
- ID:
- BFL269
- Object:
- Earth
- Cause of death:
- Impact in terminal freefall
- Date:
- 09. 09. 2015
- Time:
- 13:28
- Exit type:
- Short Start
Personal
- Name:
- Dave Buchanan
- Gender:
- Male
- Nationality:
- Canadian
- Age:
- 51
- Experience:
- —
Equipment & Setup
- Canopy:
- —
- Canopy size:
- —
- Container:
- —
- Suit:
- Squirrel › Aura 1
- Packing:
- Slider Up
- Deployment:
- BOC
Circumstances
- Weather:
- Sunny Winds light and variable
- Factors:
- Proximity flying Loss of speed-glide
Description
The jumper in this Fatality was flying an Aura wingsuit,
exit point Aiguille du Midi 3842m
09/09/2015 13:28 winds at exit: light <5kph
Dave was current having more than 60 Brevent flights in the previous month + other hiked jumps.
He loved flying terrain but did so in a conservative style usually following more experienced jumpers from a safe distance in order to learn a line.
This is what Dave had done on this line later flying it solo as on the jump that took his life.
He exited later in the group of 14 wingsuiters at the exit that did a mix of group jumps & solos.
The first jumper came back for a second run & spotted Daves canopy open on a technical part of the line amongst mixed rock & small trees just below the tree line.
Rescue was called immediately upon landing. He was dead upon their arrival.
The rescuer later stated there was an obviously impact spot through a small tree/bush 50m uphill from where Dave was found.
51, retired, living the dream, a simpler life filled with flight & the mountains, he was happy... Daves last words to this world were a scream of joy while leaping off the exit "VIVE LA FRANCE!
Gallery