Description:
Accident Description
Sergey completed several jumps from High Ultimate earlier that day and planned to join a group of BASE jumpers for the final jump of the day. Due to miscommunication, they were unable to meet, and Sergey decided to jump solo. At 16:32 he left the Horner Pub, which was the last confirmed sighting of him. According to the police investigation, he then travelled to Mürren and executed a solo jump from High Ultimate. No other BASE jumpers were present at the exit at that time, so the exact time of the jump remains unknown. However, based on commuting time, it could not have been earlier than 17:30.
He was scheduled to fly home the following day. When he failed to check out of his hotel, a search effort was initiated. The search concluded the next morning at 08:10 when Air-Glaciers located his body below the exit point.
Sergey’s body was found on the valley floor, close to the wall. His injuries indicate that death was immediate. His canopy was deployed, but it is impossible to determine whether he managed to pitch or whether the canopy released on impact. The toggles remained stowed, suggesting that he never achieved a “stable” flying position under canopy. Police reported no equipment malfunctions; the rig was worn correctly, and the canopy was attached to the risers, etc.

Important Factors
Visibility: the jump took place well after sunset. Even with a 75% moon, conditions were quite dark, which may have affected his orientation and depth perception. Around 19:00, low cloud cover moved below the exit point, potentially worsening visibility. However, he most likely jumped before 19:00.
Fitness & Mental State: the previous day, Sergey intentionally “took it very slow,” completing only a few jumps in the morning and resting for the remainder of the day. It is unclear why he chose to make such a late jump on Sunday. Given the accessibility of the exit, it is unlikely he was fatigued.
Sergey was in excellent spirits throughout the entire trip; very relaxed at the beginning, but potentially progressively getting into the “sendy mode”.
Skills: Sergey demonstrated strong body awareness and could perform complex aerials. However, his tracking skills (both sleek and two-piece) were below average. He often tracked with a very shallow, almost positive, angle of attack, resulting in poor performance.
Jump Plan: although Sergey had originally intended to focus on improving his tracking, video evidence and reports from other jumpers suggest that he switched to the aerials for at least some of his jumps. On his last successful jump, he performed a sextuple front flip. It is unknown what he attempted during the accident jump, but it is plausible that some aerials were involved.
Previous History: in summer 2023, Sergey experienced a serious accident at High Ultimate (with the short ramp). At that time, he was overly focused on aerials and pitched just above the ledge with a 180 off-heading, resulting in a crash landing on the ledge and severe injuries. Since recovering, he had expressed a strong desire to return to High Ultimate for “redemption.”
Other Factors
These would not have changed the outcome in this case but may be important considerations for the future
Lack of Communication: he didn’t really communicate that he was going for another jump, so no one started looking for him on the same day. Also he did not use the BASE App, making it impossible to determine the precise jump time.
Lack of Mobile Phone: Sergey did not have mobile roaming in Switzerland and left his phone at the hotel. Had he survived and landed on a ledge, in the forest, riverbed, etc., he could have used his phone to call emergency services, even without active roaming. Additionally, according to rescue services, an active mobile phone significantly improves search efficiency, even if the person is unconscious or deceased.
Attaching the video of his very first HU jump (January 2023, single front flip) and very last (successful) HU jump (30th Nov 2025, sextuple front flip).