This report comes from another wingsuit jumper on the expedition
- Jim was an experienced wingsuit base jumper and had jumped this particular wall 5-10 times before. It is not a beginers jump but also is not an excessively positive exit, it is possible to track. Weather and gear were not factors. He had given his ice axe to the photographer to carry down. He was not wearing crampons and there was no ice on the exit, it was solid rock. He was wearing expedition grade boots he had jumped over 20 times before. He was exiting second on a 2-way with the intention of filming. He did not appear to slip as he exited. Photos of the exit taken back from the edge indicate that the exit was too steep and went passed vertical. Contact with the wall occured approx 4 secs after exit. No-one witnessed the jump itself. It goes without saying that conditions are very cold on Baffin Island. You live on rehydrated food and on some days you miss your family and friends more than others. I am an experienced wingsuit jumper and once did something similar - towards the end of an expedition had an overly steep exit that was not caused by slipping. I remember feeling very steep as my expedition boots continued to move a little further forward tipping me slightly past vertical. After a hard arch I had a steep fast exit and a safe flight. It is very hard to believe what happened to Jim. He was very competent and experienced in all respects. All I can think of to take away from this is to suggest that wingsuit jumpers think about and discuss steep exit recovery techniques.