Susan Oatly · BASE Fatality List

Incident

Incident category:

BASE Fatality

ID:

BFL28

Object:

Earth

Cause of death:

Impact in terminal freefall

Date:

25. 09. 1993

Time:

—

Exit point:

United States of America › California › El Capitan, Yosemite

Other incidents at this location: BFL37, BFL48

Exit type:

Vertical

Personal

Name:

Susan Oatly

Gender:

Female

Nationality:

American

Age:

—

Experience:

—

Equipment & Setup

Canopy:

—

Canopy size:

—

Container:

—

Suit:

Everyday Clothing worn › Slick

Packing:

Slider Up

Deployment:

BOC

Circumstances

Weather:

Sunny Winds light and variable

Factors:

No or little training Altitude awareness

Description

Susan is the first El Capitan fatality and Yosemite's third BASE fatality overall.
She held a head high attitude for too long, lost altitude awareness, and backed into the wall in her 15th second of freefall.
This jump began the process of insisting people who begin BASE jumping have at least 150 previous parachutes jumps.
There is also a side issue involving people without much experience being handed BASE jumps beyond their abilities.
Load organizer Keith Jones is arrested by the Park Service (after staying behind to lead recovery efforts) and charged with manslaughter. The charges are later reduced to aerial delivery.

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