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Unfortunately we lost a dutch female jumper last evening here in Holland. She was an active tandem and AFF jumpmaster at Teuge dropzone. Rigging error, more details will follow.

I really hoped I never would have to post a message like this on this page but then again I knew someday it would happen.

My sincere condolences to family and friends. She will be dearly missed.

such a sad loss of a wonderful person I'm just lost for words ... my thoughts are with all those at Teuge and the Dutch BASE crew

Just a question. For all.
Does one think about learning Rigging before jumping is the first thing to learn?
I hate to think that I am the smartest. I am stupid. But WTF?
Even as stoopid that i am, I know that rigging is paramount. Best exit, best track means nothing with bad rigging.
Can you remove/install a slider, do a line check? PC symmetry check etc.
and not pack a PIT (Pilot in Tow).
Wrong sport IMHO.
If one does not know how to insert or take out the slider, change the canopy etc, give it up.
Maybe in September I can do a rigging course at ITW.
take care,
space

These are all really valid questions, but I don't think a fatality thread is the place to have the discussion.

BSBD.

Totally fair game to discuss causes of a fatality in a fatality thread. You want rainbows and unicorns, head to the "in loving memory" forum.

I agree ... Condolences really do belong in the "BSBD - IN Memory of" and yet it is the LEAST used forum on the website since it's inception. And yet even seeing Magot's memories pop up on that forum this past few days was neat.

It would be nice if when someone died base-jumping the "in Memory of" forum was the first place a string was setup with Pic's and feelings and then a week later facts and Speculation could drive some learning type discussions. As per the original post, a report will be released and there is not much more to be said about this incident until that first hand information becomes available for discussion in the days and/or weeks to come.

The reality is Facebook and so many other social Media sites take care of the emotional sentiment and there seems to be little use for the "In memory of" Forum which to my surprise contains 100 threads and the incidents thread 400. And yet there are many more jumper sites globally that probably manage the personal side of that local group.

I am on the incident forum to see discussion around lessons learned technically around the incident. The original post on this incident had a perfect balance of emotional input, respect to family/friends as a certain need of time to accept the loss of someone, and the statement which calmly affirms details will become available for us to learn something from.

Sorry, I think I misspoke. What I was driving at is that "Should everyone be a less shitty rigger before they go base jumping" doesn't seem obviously relevant.

"What rigging skills would have prevented this fatality" is incredibly relevant and I'd personally be interested to learn everything I can from this incident.

Actually it's what the fatality thread is supposed to be for. Figure out why people died so that other people can not die. Or at least, die because they made a different mistake, not just the same ones over and over again.

Obviously certain aspects of the sport are blowing that idea out of the water but still, there's no reason not to keep trying.

Hey Space,

Would you apply this to Bill Froggett #74?

Laters

Julian

The OP said it was a "rigging ERROR". You make it sound like she didn't know a damn thing about rigging. What about that Apex BASE guy, what ever his name is, he made a rigging error by not attaching a PC. Are you saying he is a dumbass too?

Forgetting to attach a PC, then not gear checking yourself before exit, or having someone else gear check you before exit, then not even being the slightest bit curious about where that PC handle is right before you exit...seems to me to be the epitome of dumbass rigging errors. Dudebro should be dead.

Equipment is with the police now. Investigation to be done later.

Witness reports that the bridle got lose from the canopy.

More info to follow.

Thanks Ronald for keeping us updated here in such hard times.

A bridle getting loose from a canopy is not a common rigging error to me, except switching from unpacked to packed jumps.
Maybe you can say something to the used gear and jumptype (PCA, SL, ..) ?
The news said something about a 70 meters jump...

I don't know the details of this latest fatality but Bill Frogge neglected to attach his bridle to his canopy with a gooseneck hitch.
I witnessed a bridle separate from a canopy once, (after extracting the canopy ),caused by wear and tear on the bridle where it was folded back and sewn, probably due to a blunt needle that perforated the bridle during construction and not easy to catch. After a period of time it had a similar effect as wiggling back and forth on a piece of perforated paper that is designed to tear along a predetermined line.

Sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, B.

 Just to add....... Bill knew how the basics of rigging, and had been involved and active for a few years . When he took his rig apart to take pictures of his canopy , he was partying with a group of friends , and was interrupted while attaching his pc .
My take-away from his death was to not allow interruptions while packing/assembling gear, double checking imperative connection points. if you are interrupted , to go back three to four steps in your procedure to assure yourself that you are correct and covering all of your bases. Drinking and packing might not go together either .........

Condolences to the Dutch crew.

Exactly my point.

Regardless of knowledge, we all fuck up from time to time.
Some just do it with less severe consequences that others.

Yes, Of course. It was a rigging error.
Take care.
space

It is probable that rigging skills would have stopped this from happening if it was a rigging mistake..
take care,
space

I did not mean to imply that anyone is a dumbass other than my self. And hell ya, I have made mistakes that I should have died from. That is one reason why i became a rigger.
I did not imply purposely that she was a dumbass. Only that I was.

I know not of her and her skills. That is the reason i had posted to all this question; .
Yes, one is a dumbass if a simple rigging error screwed the jump. But in all BASE and sky jumping situations, a simple rigging error can mean death before they leaped. This has no connection of the incident. Just saying. Realize that we all make mistakes. That is only cool if one has a method to discern faults in one´s flight check
Dont be a dumbass. I have been there and realize that a simple check list is as sufficient as one can be.
take care,
space.....

Take care,
space

Maybe wait a few days until the police report is out maybe more to this then what we hear.

Exactly. Wait a few days then more info should be available. Sorry, but that is all I can say now.

Do you know what kind of container she was jumping?
A friend of mine found his bridle had not been bartacked,
just hot glued. I would really like to know the manufacturer.

Well that's kind of a big deal

The police is still investigating this incident. Equipment and who did the assembly and/or change. Up till then no more news.