Basejumper.com - archive

Incidents

Shortcut
Fatality Brevent September 12th?
I read on Facebook that Mehmet Susam died at Brevent on the 12th.

Does anyone have any details?

Anyone who met Mehmet would agree he was a nice guy and also a leading heart surgeon in Turkey.

I had talked with him at length about his progression and this is an area where we didn't always agree..
Shortcut
Re: [unclecharlie95] Fatality Brevent September 12th?
This thread was removed because it had the name, and family hadn't yet been notified.

Notification has now been made, so I moved the post back into the forum.
Shortcut
Re: [unclecharlie95] Fatality Brevent September 12th?
Several people have sent me info via PM, thank you.

Poor exit on his 2nd jump at this location, he was found under the exit, no attempt to deploy.

Fly free Mehmet
Shortcut
Re: [unclecharlie95] Fatality Brevent September 12th?
What was it about his progression that you didn't agree with?
Shortcut
Re: [unclecharlie95] Fatality Brevent September 12th?
Yo, James

I was there, and had spoke with Mehmet numerous times up until his death.

I had met him in Turkey a month prior, where he arrived un-invited to Kemaliye to jump a very technical cliff on the west wall next to town. I tried numerous times there to talk him out of even coming up to the jump. He would not listen. He attempted the approach and failed, due to him being out of shape. We all agreed then that it probably saved his life.

When he arrived in Chamonix, myself and other experienced Chamonix locals had talked at length with Mehmet about his experience and why he felt he was ready for Brevent. We tried numerous times to convince him that he was not ready for this jump and not adequetly prepared.

When we asked him what the shortest RD he had ever jumped was, he responded with...Wallenstadt. We all knew at that moment he had no idea what he was getting himself into.

To my knowledge, he pulled off 1...maybe 2 barely surviving jumps at Brevent prior to his impact. His pushes were super weak and head high.

Video obtained from a tourist shows Mehmet pushing very weak and head high, and a sound can be heard at 2 seconds. This leads us to believe he impacted the first ledge...something we all thought physically impossible.

PLEASE...I plead with all who read this. RESPECT CHAMONIX...it is not a place for beginners. Seek out advice, AND LISTEN TO IT. The people jumping here are not lying when they say it is game on. Sam made a very genuine and concerted effort to save Mehmets life with sounds advice...and it was ignored.

Please respect others advice, Chamonix is a place to be treated with care...so we can continue to enjoy it.

SB