Basejumper.com - archive

I just got a call from a whuffo friend watching Bridge Day 2006. Someone went in. He said nothing out, water impact.
No more info.

In time we will learn more. But I'm wondering if the deceased was a regular BASE jumper or a skydiver making one of their first BASE jumps. I only bring this up because there appears to be a lax attitude by many towards the dangers of BASE during events such as Bridge Day and there is likely not enough BASE specific training to those who look to do their first BASE jumps at such events.

BSBD and condolences to those who cared about the deceased.

Terrible news, very sorry to hear!!

Don't need to know the details right now but some
info about the person would be nice since many of
us have friends there.

To our fallen: Blue Skies, Fly Free.
To his or her home team: Sincere Condolences.

http://kdka.com/...story_294145413.html

The writing is awful, but there's some information in it.

-=Raistlin

I was at the exit point and saw the entire jump.

I think there will be a video analysis of some kind done tonight.

Jumpers family were present at the event, so there is no need to worry if you have not heard from friends.

The only lesson to be learned from this incident is that it is imperative to deploy a pilot chute with sufficient altitude to allow canopy extraction and inflation. I do not believe there was any gear malfunction or rigging error.

More detailed analysis and jumpers details to follow.

I'd suggest we all refrain from posting details until Jason has a chance to prepare a statement and analysis.

There was no sweeter wound than the voice of my fiancee calling from WV and telling me she was OK. Immediately after I saw the info on national news I called her but could not reach her right away.

My condolences go out to the family of the unfortunate skydiver but I am glad my sweetie is OK.

Bad bad news.

Thoughts to the family and everyone who saw it. That's harder on people than they'll usually admit.

BASE 509 circulated through the line of jumpers asking people to call home in order to reassure their loved ones, because he expected the news not to include the jumpers identity, and knew that might cause undue panic.

Heart felt condolences to his family...

Sincerest and most heartful sympathies to those whom have lost one of their own. This is a truly dark day...

-=Raistlin

Please please if there anyone has a name, please pm me. Pretty much all of my DZ is there, and I don't have a phone to call any of them

Name released in the incidents forum.

Condolences ...

'Shell

Brian Schubert

no offense. but did jumping continue or conclude upon the incedent?

I read that jumping continued

It was reported to have continued. That is typical of these mishaps.

Jumping was allowed to continue after the deceased, family and friends had left the bridge. A significant number of jumpers chose to stop jumping for the day after the incident.

How many skydives and base jumps did the jumper have?
And When was the last time he did either? How current was he?

The name of the jumper has been released on the website of a local television station

www.woay.com

Tragic. Condolences to friends and family.

Damn, Brian Schubert was an inspiration to get Carl Boenish into the sport. In the words of Stewart Scott - "RESPECT". The inevitable Monday morning quarterbacking that will come seems like a waste when speaking of a legend.

The Pittsburgh news channel just did a short piece on it.

They totally messed up. They talked about Brian but showed a video clip of the guy in the white wing suit who did a low pull. His canopy was red. I saw that jump and he was swimming after the low pull and impact. They pulled him out and took him off in an ambulence. How bad was he hurt?


As for Brian, I saw that jump too but I was a good ways away at one end of the bridge. I just saw a long delay and a parachute that was barely open when he impacted the water. The boats were on him fast but the current took them under the bridge where I couldn't see anyhing after that. Also note I was too far away to see wether he exited stable or anythign like that.

Many sorrows I felt today at the Bridge. I seriously question whether or not this sport is something I still want to give a try. It sucks bad to loose a pioneer like Brian. I just have to give him all the respect in the world for having the courage to take that first leap, and his last.

DAVID

I herd there was also a jumper who got paralyised this year, but I think the major talk was of the fatality. I was at bridge day but guiding a raft on the river.

Prayers go out to the family and all who were there.

This is incorrect. The jumper who pulled low in the wingsuit was injured and life flighted out. He did have a spinal fracture (T7, if I recall correctly), but had feeling and control in all 4 extremities.

He met the same minimum requirements for Bridge Day as every other jumper, and significant additional efforts were made by Jason Bell and his staff to provide him training and preparation for the jump.

So is it true the jumper was NOT current since 1980's ????

Does this mean that anyone can jump if they have the numbers even if they are are several DECADES out of practice?

I heard a rumor that Jean B. was his instructor for this jump.

Is this just poor information from my very best friend in the world, or is it true?

My deepest condolance to family and freinds.

This is not a time for bateling.

My condolences to the family.

How old was this man?
---------------------------------------------
In the case of the wingsuit jumper was it also overdelay?

Thx

Brian had a heart the size of ten men . . . and it was made of solid gold.

And when he smiled, his eyes twinkled, and you could still see the little boy in his face.

Sleep tight my friend . . .

NickD
BASE 194

All due respect, the purpose of these forums is to discuss and learn from incidents as they occur. If Brian wasn't current that could very well be a factor. In terms of what we can specifically learn from it, I notice that participation in Bridge Day requires 50 prior jumps but says nothing about when they can occur. I believe this is a serious oversight and some kind of currency requirement should be added.

This is truly a tragic incident, especially considering this man's history. We should honor him by allowing his death to make the sport safer.

 

Condolences to all concerned.

Tom, he was the one all the local news channels were showing and talking about Brian. I saw him jump and his low pull. He was swimming after his water landing. I am glad he is some what ok. I hope he heals fast.

BSBD to the deceased.

DBR

I just heard on the news that he was rushed to the hospital and later died. I think they might be mixing the stories, but are you sure the WS pilot is alright/alive?

if you frequantly read theese bords you would know that i often has given Jason a hard time as of BD and the rules for jumping there.

But take that and also look at Jason as the organicer making such a legal event posible,perhaps he need some support right now.
Then he might change the rules,he wont if he stop organicing,however there probaly wouldnt be a BD either..

i dont think some people are more worth than others,you might knew Brian and feel a greater loss than i who never heard of the guy.

As i understand Brian were jumping in the early days,and if so he for sure knew the risk in this sport.His lack of self cretism and the fact that he allowed to jump even as he wasnt current leed to his death,im pretty sure most of us will agree into that.(in some degree+ or -).

people are still making low pulls today tomo etc etc its a fact..
So i cant see (unless theres some rigging thing) how this can be prevented in the furture,Hopefully it will raise the requirements at BD,but Brian could have desided to make that same jump at my local A,whith the same outcome.. he should have desided to pull higher..

Nope its to help people preventing incident to occur.

Its always a great loss as we loss a brother or sister in this sport,learning from mistakes to prevent them happening again is a must as you also say,but some times not much can be done.

I don't know much at all about the WS jumper goldie... I was just there to watch the festivle.

I saw his jump and all I can tell you was the WS jumper pulled low and hit the water with half of a canopy out. He was swimming when the boats pulled him out of the water and then rove him over to the shore. They then put him on a back board and then took him out of the gorge in an ambulance. Tom said on the incidents forum that he broke his back but was moving all 4 of his extremities. If he later died, I can't tell you.

What I was commenting on more was that the TV stations were talking about Brian's death yet showing video of the WS jumper. I just hope the WS jumper is ok.

DBR

Who is spreading rumors about ME (Mick Knutson)??????????

Why does everyone want to talk crap about me at BD and I am not even at BD!!!!

Look at my posting here! I was NEVER flaming Jason Bell!
I just got a call from the Holiday Inn saying that there is a huge uproar abou me spreading false pretense about Jason.

Will whomever is spreading the rumors PLEASE GROW UP?????

http://www.baseclimb.com/BASE_history.htm


There is a first hand account of the El Capitan jump here .

Jumping was allowed to continue because the weather had no bearing on the fatality.

However, that said, they made the correct call to wait for family and friends to leave.

Stefan,

You make a lot of good points so I don't think it's necessary to go into them one by one. I would just add this: I myself am not a base jumper. However, I am a skydiver who knows that a lot of skills we take for granted were not necessarily there for us at the start. I remember in particular the many precious seconds it took on one of my early AFF jumps to simply locate the hackey. It's not unusual for FJC students to struggle with this during freefall in spite of going over the procedure numerous times on the ground. Fortunately for those of us jumping from planes, there is a good deal of freefall time in which to locate the hackey and successfully deploy. How long do you have from NRGB? Five seconds?

I can't possibly know if this was what happened in Brian's incident. However, if his only previous skydiving experience was decades ago on much different, ripcord-based gear, it seems a distinct possibility.

The point I'm trying to make is that Bridge Day is a highly publicized event as the recent news reports have made abundantly clear. No one should be allowed to make their first base jump there unless they have certain fundamental skills "wired in". At a minimum, those skills should include the ability to quickly deploy a throwout pilot chute and the ability to successfully land a canopy.

Sure, there's no way to guarantee that everyone at Bridge Day will have those skills. But there should be some kind of currency requirement that at least addresses the need for them.

 


Although i understand your point here, in this particular incident the jumper exited with the pilot chute in his hand. So locating the pc was not an issue.
All he needed to do was open up his hand and let it go.In my OPINION i think he MAY have had a little "tunnel vision" due to the unstable exit.
i.e. spent to much time trying to get stable instead of getting a chute over his head.
In the words of my mentor : when in doubt,whip it out.
Like i said this is my opinion only i have not seen all of the videos and i didn't see this happen first hand.

My bad, didn't know that he exited PC in hand. Of course, as you suggest, the ability to exit stable would be another fundamental skill. Needless to say, that skill is also more likely to be present in a current jumper.

Then your input as to anything BASE related is completely irrelevant.

And remember that he learned to skydive with a ripcord. In the olden days of ripcords it was always imperative to keep your right hand firmly clenched while in a fist while deploying, to keep from losing the ripcord; A habit that is counter-intuitive to jumping current gear.

Careful.....just because someone has not made a jump doesnt mean they dont know anything about the discipline or have an informed opinion on a particular aspect.....

I'm sorry someone has died jumping and sorry it was in such a public arena.....I hope something good comes out of it , like a potential jumper, witnessing the incident , getting a dose of reality and perhaps thinking a bit deeper about motivations for starting .

yes. that is right which is one of the reasons that lead me to the whole "tunnel vision" theory.

people go back to habit in times of panic before changing to new teachings. for example: when people leave their homes they use the same door 98% of the time. firefighters find people all the time dead a mere few feet from a door when they had a closer door or window they could have escaped through.but being in a state of panic the first door they think of is the one they used all the time.

You were obviously responding to HydroGuy, but your post shows up as a response to mine.

I understand why you say that, but I'll respectfully disagree with you.

Anyone can produce a logical argument to support a theory. BASE jumping is maybe a few years off being an exact science so real world experience is an important factor in the meanwhile.

However, he's happy to state that he's not a BASE jumper. Anyone reading his posts will surely take that into consideration. But that fact in itself does not make his opinion and questions irrelevant.

Condolences to friends and family



in reply to "people go back to habit in times of panic before changing to new teachings. for example: when people leave their homes they use the same door 98% of the time.
...................................

My 2cents worth is that the passing of this Legend may be highlighting the need for more thorough emergency procedures training.

early on in this post we were politely asked to refrain from posting details and we were asked to allow Jason to prepare a statement and analysis.
can we please let this rest and allow some time to pass before we continue to post on the topic.
yes, we all want to learn and speculate ... very few of us will ever be the first man to jump from el cap ... several of us in line had the pleasure to watch brian and mike give interviews prior to jumping ... very few of us will be this famous ... brian stated he was happy to be making this jump 40 years after jumping el cap ... very few of us have 40 years of happy base jumping experiences.
please, can we wait for the appropriate individuals to release thier statements and allow a wonderful man to rest peacefully.

The bridge is one of the very few legal sites available (even if only for 24 hours). This incident is all the more tragic because of the media frenzy that predictability ensued.

I have not (yet!) been, but two thing surpise me about the information providd on the site -

1) The currency/experience requirements seem low. Yeah, it's a nice 'beginner' object and the boats are there. But as shown here, even going handheld can be dangerous. It hardly seems like the ideal 'stress free' first jump environment either. I was sh*tting it enough with just a handful of hikers on my first one. A crowd of thousands might encourage people jump at a time when they're not 'ready' (in any sense of the word).

2) Why is goddamn skydiving gear still allowed at BD? Is there not already enough to go wrong without inducing 'improper gear' worries?!!?!! Not sure if this is relevant to this incident, but it's such a public event...

Not true, only "legal" for just 6 hours.


Are the 100-150 jumps required to enroll in one of the FJCs really that high?


There is absolutely NOTHING wrong using PROPERLY rigged SD gear off that object.


No it is not. He was jumping a "safe" base rig, FYI.

very few of us have 40 years of happy base jumping experiences
__________________________________________________

My impression was that after his jump of El Cap he never made another BASE jump until this one. So he didn't have '40 years of happy base jumping experiences'.

In fact the impression I got from following Mike and Brian's 're-discovery' over the last year and half or so in these forums was that he hadn't done much skydiving for decades either.

I'd much rather think of him having jumped El Cap in '66 and die of old age than go out this way....

whatever... I guess we will all learn from it one way or another, can someone post a video of it, so we can all make our own analisis of it?? i hope this is not rude, but if i ever go in a will totally be ok with every one in the whole wide world to see it...

so life goes on, we all know this is a fkin dangerous sht to do, so just like any other sport you got to learn the new trick or just step off to the side and watch the other cool kids play.

Anyone that doensn't know him, or know for a fact that he wasn't current shouldn't speculate at all. This is a public forum and the news might start saying things about his currency (that might not even be true) just because people were saying it on here.

I encourage anyone who said anything about him being uncurrent delete their post ASAP.

For all I know he's made 10k skydives and 2000 base jumps and is more current than anyone there.

just read about it in the newspaper

My deepest condolance to family and friends as well to the BASE community

I haven't read all the way to the end of this thread, so please forgive me if this is a repeat...

Regarding the Wingsuit pilot -

He is alive and "well". He has a fractured L7 that is in 5 pieces. He has no spinal damage or internal injuries.

-S

He was going hand held so that eliminates a hard pull or a not finding the hackey. My only other guess it that he had a Pilot Chut In Tow or a Bridal Wrap. But I did see his parachute opening when he hit the water.


I hate to spectulate but after watching that video clip, he didn't exit very well so that leads me to agree with a lot of other people's posts about currency. He exited totally unstable and flailing.


If you haven't ridden a bicycle for 20 years I bet it would be kind of hard to do it again the first few times you tried doing it again.....



I am glad to hear the WS Jumper is not died and is doing ok.... Tell him the local news made it look he was the one that went in when they were taling about Brian.



As for videos of people going in, I think we should show more of them! I mean it might make someone considering BASE to stop and think about it more before trying to do it. I know this event made me reconsider BASE some. Still yet I think BASE can be somewhat safe if you take ALL of the right precautions. Nick originally said his list was to stop people making the same mistakes. Everyone needs to stop for a minute and rethink things. There has been too many fatailties in the last few years that could have been avoided.


DBR

I don't agree. You can minimize the possibility to die because of Material-, Rigging- and these kind of errors but there are still a lot of things that you can not controll that can go wrong like "shit happens 180's with linetwists, line overs, pc hesitation, bidel wraps, you name it...
BASE is never, never, never going to be somewhat safe. You can do everthing perfectly wright and still die any day.
I like a lot the bucket theorie of Dwain (I think), this explains BASE Jumping pretty well.

I was going to disagree baserigger, but I hesitated because i'm clearly a lot less experienced and dindn't fancy starting a somewhat tangential discussion. But f*ckit, i'm having a slow day at work and disagree with you.

But at the very least you can't get a f*cking baglock with a base rig, no chance of a 2 out entanglement, less chance of losing the brake lines on opening and a better canopy (possibly vented - god knows, maybe a fractionally faster opening might save someone one day). You could say that a freepacked canopy negates the baglock possibility, but there's still a 'surplus to requirements' reserve and you're using gear that is NOT made for the job. Chances are that people also take much better care of their base gear than that sh*tty old rig and canopy they brought to BD because they anticipate a swim. That shouldn't be the case, but probably is.

Jump whatever you want, but if there is base specific gear available, it should f*cking well be used on super high profile jumps like this.

Agree. The list and the carnage tape should be a prerequisite or a mandatory part of any BASE FJC.

hey mate, if you refer to a post of someone you should press the reply button of that post...
My english is not so good and your post (becaused adressed to my post) confused me a bit...

cool, my bad! I mis-read your post and initially meant to reply to you, but them changed my mind without editing who i hit 'reply to'.

http://www.newsday.com/...tionalnews-headlines

Another online story, this one with more details than the AP story that's all over the place

A related thread.
http://www.dropzone.com/..._reply;so=ASC;mh=25;

 


dude he was using very new base gear.This is a fact

I acknowledge that, I'm not disputing the fact and i agree it has nothing to do with this incident.

However, I do not agree with the comment further up (base rigger's one) that there is absolutely nothing wrong with using skydiving gear on this object, properly rigged or not - especially on high profile jumps (obviouly not in reference to this particular jump, but to bridge day in general).

Sorry, it should really have been in a seperate thread. I was simply commenting on the lax (imho) gear requirements - following on from other's comments on the currency requirements.

Mikki, I said "somewhat" safe. I agree with you though. At BD, I saw a lot of people having off headings, going head down, and a bunch of line twists. Those all make BASE Very very dangerous especially when not jumping nice high bridges.

I guess that propper body positioning really does effect openings and heading direction.


I agree with the list and video idea. I bet if half of the people who ever made a BASE Jump were shown a video of someone all busted up or had to listen to someone talk about how BASE Jumping made them physically impared in some manner, they might second think things.

As far as gear, I really wouldn't want to jump sky diving gear at DB unless it was a BASE canopy with the tail pocket, line mod, and mesh slider free packed into the container. They do mandate the longer bridal and larger pilot chutes at BD.

But I did see a lot of people jumping sky diving gear and old gear at that. I saw this older guy jumping what looked like an old canvas back pack compared to modern gear.

As far as not being a BASE Jumper, I am not one either but... I have spent the past three years learning about BASE because once I am done with college I plan to complete my AFF and focus on BASE skills that will be needed. So is my two cents irrevelant? I feel not since I am far more educated about some of these issuse then the Wuffo who has never made sky dive that was just standing on the bridge spectating. I am getting two engineering degrees and hope to land a job with one of the major gear or equipment manufactures.

So you can take my posts as you wish.


DBR

sorry i misunderstood you. but i do agree with you about jumping skydiving gear.

From watching the WOWK-TV footage, and reading the witnesses reports, there doesn't seem to be much speculation about pilotchute in tows, hard pulls etc.......

He exits at 18.5s on the video.......
The announcer first calls "PITCH!" at 23.5s, then again at 24, 25 and 26s.......and the crowd has a universal intake of breath at 27.5s.......if he hadn't thrown out by the last call of "pitch", which was 7.5s after exit (which I think was close to what Bill Legg did, but he lucked out) then he had little hope.

I do agree that a certain level of currency and/or training for this type of high profile jump as well as skydive numbers should be considered, but how do you tell a man who did one of the first ever BASE jumps that he can't participate in this kind of event?? I read that JB gave this man some training before this jump - if this is the case, then I think as much was done as was necessary - he knew the risks involved and knew he was on his own when he stepped up.

Full props to him for coming back after being one of the first to ever realise the possibilities of parachuting from things not airborne, and having the drive to come back and re-live that moment of his history.......

Fly on........

Yeah that exit didn't look too stable to me.

Perhaps a PCA or static line would have been a better choice?

Still everyone needs to give him credit not for this jump but the one that really mattered many tears back.

I was at the top in the jumpers area, and saw the entire incident from exit to impact. I have also reviewed video from several angles, shot by both jumpers and bystanders.

The following is my personal analysis of the accident, and should not be construed as an official statement of any kind, by any person or group.

I keep seeing this reference to L-7.
The Lumbar "L" vertebrae only go up to "5."
"T" go to 12, and "C" go to 7.

FJ

>>Physicians use a code to number each of the 24 vertebrae in the spine. The low back officially begins with the lumbar region of the spine directly below the cervical and thoracic regions and directly above the sacrum. The lumbar vertebrae, L1-L5, are most frequently involved in back pain because these vertebrae carry the most amount of body weight and are subject to the largest forces and stresses along the spine. <<

So you want to jump slider up with the line mod...

It's T7. I edited my first post. My wife had already seen that and made the same point to me.

How many BASE jumps do you have? How many with SD gear and how many with BASE gear and what are your rigging qualifications?

This is getting off topic by the way...

Brian was jumping BASE gear.

Indeed, you are correct.

Some people seem to want nothing more than an opportunity to apportion blame. To them, I would say this:

Last year, Brian made the decision not to jump. It was his decision. There wasn't anyone I know of who told him that he could not jump or should not jump--he decided not to jump.

This year, Brian made the decision to jump, and he did jump, and he died. Jean is quoted as saying she told him not to, and maybe she did, but it wasn't her decision to make. It was his decision.

What part of personal responsibility is eluding the lot of you?

At NRG alone, there are plenty of examples of very experienced, very current base jumpers who were nothing more than very, very lucky--they ought to be dead, but for some inexplicable reason, they're not.

For brand-new jumpers, it's a very simple process: launch, count, pitch. Speaking as one who had way less than 50 skydives and who was, iirc, three months from being current when I made my first jump at Bridge Day, you will never convince me that Brian is dead because he lacked experience or currency.

You never know what's going on inside another person's head, which is why you cannot decide for someone else what they should do. Brian, as was his right, made a bad decision and he paid for it. That's not a good reason for the blamers among you to insist that others pay for it too.

rl

Dose anyone know his intended delay?
I am just a bit confused why he went hand held slider up.

I'm just speculating here, but my guess is that a slider-up jump was done regardless of the delay, Given Brian's age, a softer opening is preferable.

Makes sense.

Beautifully said Rhonda.

Beautiful and Brilliant.

-=Raistlin

 "you will never convince me that Brian is dead because he lacked experience or currency."
.
That does not make sense to me.
-

" You never know what's going on inside another person's head, which is why you cannot decide for someone else what they should do."
.
It is right that this is not a blame game. Shit happens. and happens to good people every day.
You are wrong about what was going on. Apparently there was 'Nothing' going on in the deceased head. He is not the first person to ever brain-lock and do absolutely Nothing when he apparently was sensory overloaded with the situation. Brain-Lock and freezing up is doing something but at the same time, it's Nothing. and doing 'nothing' is what killed him.
,

Having been there and gotten Mike Pelkey to sign my copy of his El Cap #1 award... Having to drive back the film crew who were at the bottom and who filmed everything and driving them back to the hotel... Knowing that Brian's family was there... Knowing that Mike was at the top when it happened... Consoling the jumper who trained Brian... Drinking a beer with the woman ate breakfast with him and spent time with him before it happened, and who saw the accident from the top... Seeing Jean Boenish go into a stunned mode... This is one of the most tragic jump accidents I have experienced in a long time, if not ever.

If it has a tail-pocket, it's not free-packed.

As callous as it may sound, I'm glad I went ahead of them and didn't have to witness it. I've already seen my share of carnage this year.

"you will never convince me that Brian is dead because he lacked experience or currency"

Sorry, I have to strongly disagree. I was there and saw what happened from the bridge, I have very limited experience but I believe it has been very valuable experience. I am CONVINCED, in my mind, he died because he lacked currency and/or experience. I could certainly be wrong but from my observation he looked like he hadn't ever jumped off of anything. His "Pull priority" was non-existent. (pull, pull at a safe altitude, pull stable)

You have to turn your monitor sideways when you read my posts, Ray. You know that. :)

Brian didn't die because he lacked experience or because he wasn't current. He died because he brainlocked.

More to the point, neither currency nor experience prevents brainlock, nor does the lack thereof cause it. If that were the case, then a whole lot of dead skydivers and basejumpers would still be here, and a lot of skydivers and basejumpers who are still here would be dead.


I agree with you completely, on both counts, but the point I'm most concerned with right now is the first one. There are people who seem to want to find a place to lay blame, and that is why, even though I no longer post here, I posted here.

I used to think the internet was a great communication tool, but at the moment, it appears to me that it does nothing more than allow a voice to people who are either two fries short of a Happy Meal or who have all the brains that God promised a Big Mac and, in some cases, both.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Brian's death is not the appropriate occasion for the disgruntled to have their petty revenge against those they believe to have slighted them.

edit to add: I listened to the audio of the interview before his jump, it was very surreal.


Video (THEY DO NOT SHOW HIS JUMP)
http://mfile.akamai.com/...onth06/bridgeday.asx



Article in the army times:
http://armytimes.com/...hp?f=bestmonth06.php

Witness to tragedy


Top: Jumpers leap over the edge of the New River Gorge Bridge as part of Bridge Day festivities on October 21. Bottom: A jumper comes in for a landing.-- M. Scott Mahaskey / Staff

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — It is with the utmost regret and sadness that we have to end our “Best Month Ever” coverage on a solemn note.

If you follow BASE jumping at all, or saw any national news over the weekend, you’ve probably already heard that jumper Brian Lee Schubert, 66, fell to his death during the annual Bridge Day event at the New River Gorge Bridge.

Known as one of the pioneers of the sport, Schubert and a friend in 1966 became the first people to jump from El Capitan, a 3,300-foot-high rock formation in California’s Yosemite National Park. His attendance at this year’s event — where hundreds of BASE jumpers fling themselves off the 876-foot-high bridge to the delight of more than 200,000 awed spectators — was so anticipated that organizers mentioned it during the Friday press conference and media roundtable.

I wish I could tell you that we missed it, that Scott and I were looking away or buying hot dogs at the time, but we were standing in the jumper landing zone along the New River, maybe 40 yards away, bearing witness to the whole thing. Schubert jumped and kept falling, creating an audible stir in the crowd, until his chute partially-opened far too late to stop his descent.

From the top of the bridge to impact is less than nine seconds. That’s not a lot of time to solve any problems.

A woman who knew Schubert screamed and rushed toward the water, where she was consoled by workers on the scene. We never learned who she was, but it was obvious that she cared about him.

The fall occurred about 11:45 a.m., almost halfway through the day’s events, and jumping was suspended for about 20 minutes while rescue teams worked to recover Schubert’s body from the river. It took about an hour for event coordinators to confirm his death to the media, but none of the reporters and photographers who saw the landing believed it would end on a positive note.

To their credit, the jumpers carried on the tradition that Schubert helped begin with his California jump in 1966. After 40 years of leaping off of tall objects, he most certainly knew the dangers involved.

BASE jumpers are a tight group, and they believe in the sport, despite the dangers. I doubt Schubert would have wanted them to cancel anything because of him.

Considering that, we went ahead with plans for our final “Best Month Ever” video, spotlighting the spectacle that is “Bridge Day.” The largest BASE jumping event in the world, it’s also generally very, very safe. The last fatality there was in 1987.

Here’s hoping you enjoy it, and that you don’t let the tragedy keep you from attending if you ever get a chance. The jumpers will be there even if you aren’t.

Be sure to check out the Nov. 6 issue of the Military Times papers for more from Bridge Day, as well as interesting recaps of our other “Best Month Ever” adventures. All in all, we had a pretty awesome month.

Cheers,
C. Mark

In general, I'd say that the modern definition of "free packed" includes the use of a tail pocket.

"Free stowed" refers to lines in the bottom of the pack tray (without a tail pocket), but "free packed" refers to a canopy not in a bag, regardless of whether the lines were free stowed or not.

I also have to agree with the issue of Training or Currency. Brain-lock is just a unpredictable thing that no one can ever see coming till it's already motion in progress and everyone Brain-locks but we are not talking about forgetting the next Grip on a RW dive or where you put your car keys last. Training and currency have everything to do with building or refreshing your muscle memory to what is suppose to be spontaneous action. Like basic altitude awareness or the simple task of letting go of your PC. I am not trying to make any conclusions or place blame but on the circumstances that have been discussed but it a damn shame that this stuff happens to the best of people.
.

I too can only agree with training and currency. For sure, Brian was trained opening a parachute with a ripcord. So, was he adequately trained on jumping a PC hand-held? I assume yes. But for sure, he was not current on that part.

Then, what do you do with a hand-held PC when you go unstable? you pitch the moment you feel you go unstable? Or do you try to correct it? With all the risks included.

Then, having quick reflexes helpes a lot too. We all know that these slow down with age. Brian was not the youngest anymore, so quick or not, his reflexes were not the same as in 1966.

And finally, if you jump a hand-held PC, go unstable and pitch to low, you can die, regardless if you use SD gear or base gear.

Just my 2 cents. I was not there. I did see Brians speech at BD 2005.

Ronald

From the LA Times:

Schubert had no recent experience jumping and only a day of practice before Saturday, said Boenish, who was his friend and flew with him and Pelkey to West Virginia.

"I would not have let this man jump," she said. "I told him I didn't think he was ready. He would have nothing to do with me after that."

Pelkey said Schubert had trained hard, practicing jumps with a parachute into swimming pools and losing 80 pounds. But he had not jumped from a cliff or plane in practice, said Boenish.

Jean alleges that he had only "one day of practice," but if Mike Pelkey is to be believed (and I, for one, believe him), Brian put a great deal more time and effort into being ready than a mere day--more like the entire year between BD 2005 (when he declined to jump) and BD 2006.

Given that Pelkey jumped in 2005 without incident, even though he was no more current or experienced and arguably *less* trained than Brian was this year, the reasonable assumption would have been to expect no problems with Brian's jump.

A lot of the posts I've read sound like the aftermath of the death of a child, but Brian Schubert was not a child nor was he an idiot.

It is childishly arrogant to belittle his choice--and his death--by ascribing the responsibility and consequences of his choice to anyone but him.

My Friends,
A statement is forthcoming from jason on this tragic event, a proper protocol had to be followed to assure that the correct information will be released. Lets not forget we have lost another member of our small community, a pioneer to our sport.
Our deepest regrets go out to the family and friends of Brian, he will be remembered forever as 1 of a team to jump el cap for the first time. Brian was a forefather to base before he even knew where it would go. Bridgeday was something that has evolved from his direct actions of the past.
godspeed my friend
Bill Bird / Co- Organizer

...and this leads me personally to believe that maybe Mr A. N. Other with similar experience (other than "the" BASE jumps made) would not have been allowed to jump...

I am really interested in what is said about this incident from the people involved.

Can people invloved with Brians training and choice to let him jump really be unmarred by the fact of who he was?

You can post that this is not so, but I strongly feel that maybe this helped blind you to decent choices...

Yes BASE is a personal choice, BASE is about choosing to step off the edge..... but everyone keeps telling me that BD is not really BASE in its pure form.... either BD is BASE or its not... dont pick and choose what it is..

If BD is BASE in choice, then dont refuse anyone to jump, if its not, then stop arguing about freedom...

NPR's Noah Adams was at Bridge Day and interviewed Brian before his jump. A fairly accurate and sensitive story about the event was broadcasted Monday.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6369946

During the interview Brian described his jump at El Cap,
Brian talked about having time to deploy even after getting stable. Thought the statement was telling.

I find it interesting that there seems to be some demand for standards and minimum requirements, aka BSRs, for the BASE community by the media / public (expected) but also its participants.

I spoke with an old time jumper and he said there was something distinct in the jumping from many years ago. They would emphasise getting stable much more than now before pulling due to potentially catastrophic malfunctions that could occur with such inferior gear compared to todays standards. i don't think any modern instructor would have even realized this.

the BD staff develop guidelines based on experience. they have an amazing safety record, and will continue to tweak their rules.

in past years, up to a third of BD jumpers were first time BASE jumpers. they nervously grip their PC's on the edge, eager to release it. I rarely see any that wait for the stated delay. some even release their pc ABOVE the exit platform.

this tragedy stunned the staff as they dropped everything to assist the family.

RL is correct. unless someone has facts, the criticism of those helping Brian seems inappropriate. for me, it feels like rubbing salt into a fresh wound.

Possible mindset:

I did my first 2 BASE jumps that day hand held. I had decided that if I even started to go unstable I'd deploy. I told people about it the night before and even on the platform I thought about it: AKA if there is a stability issue, stop the jump, and use the altitude to deal with any consequences.

As I jumped off that platform I started to go head low: not alot but enough for me to notice. About the same time I felt the speed pick up and felt the familiar air so I got back stable and then pitched. I've done quite a few helicopter and balloon jumps so the feeling was not unusual.

I had told myself I'd deploy at the first hint of instability and I didn't. Had I got more unstable I'd like to think I would have.

<<For brand-new jumpers, it's a very simple process: launch, count, pitch. >>

Minimally, current or not, those are the mandatory required steps.

Brian had two bachelor's degrees and a master's. He was not a dummy. No one but him can be blamed for his going all the way in with PC in hand. Even with his poor exit he was adequately stable for the first three or four seconds and should have had a decent opening.

Brian was the planet's sweetest guy and my very dearest friend and I would love to find someone or something else to blame.

.

THAT is a very good point. The NPR report also said he was "resistant to training" and "stubborn", I've been thinking the "reversion to ripcord training" was as possible as anything else, but now think it to be more of a combination of all three.

Brian was an adult, he met the current requirements, and he made his choice, same as we all do. I certainly don't condemn him or anyone else for that. It will probably has some negative impact on BD, but you can't take the sensationalism out of the media no matter what you do. I haven't seen anyone report that there have been XX,XXX Bridge Day jumps over the last 20 years, with only one mortal accident.

I feel terrible for his family.


Don

I was in Johnny Utah's BASE FJC at Bridge Day last year with Mike Pelkey. I think his training was adequate for the BD jump. There's been 135-150 first time BASE jumpers at BD the last couple of years, and only 10-20 of them take a detailed BASE FJC or get any sort of training besides the 1 hour, "how not to die at BD" seminar.

 
I was in Johnny Utah's BASE FJC at Bridge Day last year with Mike Pelkey. I think his training was adequate for the BD jump. There's been 135-150 first time BASE jumpers at BD the last couple of years, and only 10-20 of them take a detailed BASE FJC or get any sort of training besides the 1 hour, "how not to die at BD" seminar.
__________________________________________________

Most of them are, if low experienced, fairly current and aware, without bad habits or ingrained thought processes about what they are going to do.

If you go there thinking you know what you're doing, you're already behind the eight-ball.

Mike, you have given us your thoughts, thanks, if there is anything we can do for you please feel free to contact us @ anytime my friend, my deepest regrets go out to you for the loss of your dear friend and brother.
Bill Bird

Thank You Mike. Your honesty shows how true your friendship with Brian was. I hope those in my life will always call me on my shit and not try explaning away,excusing or blaming my actions on anything or anyone other then myself.

My Prayers are with you Sir.

BSBD

_____________________________________________

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Brian's death is not the appropriate occasion for the disgruntled to have their petty revenge against those they believe to have slighted them.
_____________________________________________

I love you Rhonda. Thanks for being you.


.

This almost happened to me! All the 14 base jumps I had where from BD. Then I took maybe a year or more off and got back into jumping but this time from a 500 foot antenna at night for a 3sec count! Sure I knew what base feels like! So I jumped! Well my soul left first with my body flailing 3’ behind. When my body finally caught up with my mind the two concluded that in fact you are going head low and that’s not good. Send out emergency signals to arms to start circling in the thin air! THIN AIR! That light soft feeling of the air then triggered a rush of memories from all my bridge day jumps! What a happy secure feeling to have come to your rescue. I felt like I was back at BD. The feeling and sound of the air increased in strength and I knew I was like around 3 sec. so I still had some time to level off. Well passing thru 4 sec still not flat and stable I realized I needed to dump regardless of this awful head down body position I’m in! So at 5 sec dump, sweet on heading opening, real short canopy flight and landed safely! By my short canopy time I realized well that’s about as low as you want to go! That was fun as chit! I didn’t die! I phunked up my exit but got my PC out! My experienced base buds said to me….. “you hummed that one down”. Like I knew what I was doing! I got lucky that my gut sense about time was working 100% and that I wasn’t jumping a 400’ tower! I really got mesmerized by the time frame that I developed from BD jumps! This is what could have happened to Brain! He got mesmerized by the rush of excellent past feelings/memories and the El Cap time frame that came with them! Doing something you love! Blue Skies Brain and cheers 2 ya 4 making that 1st leap!

jimo

Peace and love brother. My sincerest condolances Mike and to his family and other friends.

Chris

Rest In Peace.

460 doesn't rest evah.

Thanks, Yoda!

On a practical note, one thing has always been Bridge Day's time limit.

Jason must shoehorn the various needs of 400 jumpers into a small six-hour window. Every organizer before him has had to do the same, but there is much more going on these days and it's all being stuffed into the same size bag. The easiest to implement change would be to allow jumping from the catwalk for several days prior to and ending with Bridge Day itself.

I hear some describing Bridge Day as a zoo, a nylon miracle, or something that's not really BASE jumping. And they're right, but for another reason. To me, Bridge Day has always been a demo jump. And what other "show" goes on in front of 150,000 people without some sort of preparation and rehearsal?

The WX and the LZ are sometimes significantly different from year to year and we all get one or two shots at it with the added pressure of not being able to say, "Gee, well, maybe tomorrow." That's a risky lack of choice when spread out over 400 jumpers of various experience levels.

On the other hand, we want Bridge Day to remain a place people can come and fulfill a dream. So I'm not talking about making the two days prior to Bridge Day try outs for the real "show" but more time gives us more choices, more options, and more control.

Sure, I know that won't solve everything, and it will probably raise new issues – but at least we are going forward. And some new things aren't always better. I was the guy arguing against a fixed launch point on the bridge, because the conditions sometimes made somewhere else better . . .

And the "security" thing is really getting out of hand. I've been to Bridge Days in the past with 400 other BASE jumpers, perfect WX, 250,000 (that's a quarter of a million) spectators, and no National Guard, no Park Rangers. Just a few policeman and EMTs, and it went fine. These guys are just feeding at the public security trough. Besides, if Al Qaeda attacked Bridge Day four hundred pissed off BASE jumpers would decide the battle of Fayetteville, West Virginia in a hurry.

NickD
BASE 194

Al Qaeda would live the regret the wrath of a large group of angry base jumpers. As controversial as this sounds, imagine the eye for eye philosophy of flying an aircraft into some **** ****, like M****.

I know many jumpers who refuse to participte due to handing over private information for 'background' checks. As well as the Orwellian feeling of being watched.

-=Raistlin

the problem therein lies that you can be watched and known wether or not you agree to releasing your info...

transfered pilot chute to left hand would only mean one thing, that he had his bridle wrapped around his arm and was trying to get it cleared!

jimo

http://www.vertical-visions.com/...mp;Product_Code=BDJP

JUMPER REQUIREMENTS

Jumpers must have made at least (TBD) skydives or BASE jumps by October 2007.
Jump currency, your age, gear, clothing, helmet, jump style, bridle length, pilot chute size, and numerous other factors will be evaluated in 2007 in order to update our requirements. While current requirements have worked well for the last 19 years, we will update the requirements for Bridge Day 2007.

I was in a bar in Rancho Cucamonga and this guy said Brian was one of his dads best friends and was suffering from Cancer when he died.