British base jumper dies after leaping from 9,500ft high mountain in Italy

A British base jumper has died in the Italian Dolomites after launching himself from a 9,500ft high mountain.

The Briton was named by Italian police as Robert Haggarty, 47, from Andover, Hants.

He launched himself in a wing-suit from a peak in the Monte Civetta range in the northern region of Veneto.

He reportedly deployed his parachute but hit a rock wall and was killed on impact.

He and other jumpers had been flown to the top of the mountain in a helicopter.

The alarm was raised by hikers and climbers who witnessed the accident.

Alpine rescue experts faced great difficulties in recovering his body because of the extreme steepness of the terrain.

Three rescuers were lowered from a helicopter and managed to locate Mr Haggarty’s body.

They then managed to transport the corpse on a stretcher to a rocky ledge where it was winched up by a helicopter.

It was the first base jumper death in the Dolomites this year.

Last year an orthopaedic surgeon from Austria died after jumping from the same mountain.

Base jumping, which entails leaping with a parachute or wing-suit from a building, bridge or cliff, is regarded as one of the world’s most risky sports.

It has a fatality and injury rate around 50 times higher than parachuting from an aircraft.

Base jumpers who wear wing-suits are able to fly at speeds of up to 120mph before deploying a parachute and floating down to the ground.