BFL470 | 6.12.2023

Thor Mieglitz

from Germany36 years

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11

BASE SEASONS

2000

SKYDIVES

Unknown

WS SKYDIVES

1900

BASE JUMPS

1400

WS BASE JUMPS
  • Date & Time: 6.12.2023, 04:18
  • Location: High Ultimate Ramp, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
  • Category: BASE Fatality
  • Object Type: Earth
  • Cause Of Death: Impact subterminal (near exit)
  • Clothing - Suit: Alpine 3Expert Wingsuit by Phoenix-Fly
  • Canopy: 245 Peak7 Cell - Vented by Atair Aerodynamics
  • Container: Stream 22 Pin by Squirrel
  • Packing & Setup: Slider Up BOC Underhung
  • Weather: Winds light and variable
  • Possible Factors: Not enough separation from object, Unstable exit

What do we believe happened?

After finishing work at 3pm, we decided to go for a jump. On the way to Lauterbrunnen we started talking about head low exits. Thor had a series of bad exits in his Alpine 3 in the last couple of weeks. He was even saying that he wanted to stop jumping that suit and that he was waiting for a new one. We took the gondola up to Mürren at 15:38. While gearing up, Thor started saying: “I have to fix my exits!”, then he went down to the ramp to go for a solo. On the ramp he checked his gear and his pilot chute. He said: “Okay guys” and jumped. From my perspective Thor had a weak push with bended knees and he immediately went very head low - almost going for a front flip. We heard two soft impacts and didn’t see him in his wingsuit or under canopy. As we all planned to fly far left, we decided to jump and look out for him. After landing we tried to call him. Then we got a call from Air-Glaciers asking if everything was alright. A construction worker witnessed Thor’s accident and asked the helicopter rescue for help. The rescue team found Thor on the ground in a straight line down from the ramp. As soon as we’re getting his footage, we will know more. One lesson is already clear: Never jump a technical exit when you’re not feeling a hundred percent confident. If you’re having a series of bad launches, practice from more forgiving exits.

Contact

Missing something?

Can you help us with incident interpretation? We are interested in any details regarding personal experience, gear, weather conditions and any other circumstances related to the incident.

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