British Base Jumper Dies After His Parachute Fails To Open During Leap
A British base jumper has died after his parachute failed to open during a jump in Italy.
Dylan Morris Roberts was killed instantly after leaping from an 800m ledge known locally as ‘Happy Birthday’, connected to the popular base jumping exit point Monte Brento.
The 33-year-old was an expert skydiver, having worked at the British Parachute School in Nottinghamshire.
Over his career he’d performed dozens of jumps, and combined his love for the extreme sport with base jumping, which involves parachuting from fixed objects.
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Despite his expertise in the recreational sport, the Brit failed to land after launching off the edge.
He’d been with a group of five friends who immediately phoned emergency services when they witnessed the accident.
A mountain rescue team arrived at the scene via helicopter where they recovered his body.
Local police said his parachute malfunctioned, although it’s also been suggested that he may have miscalculated his trajectory.
Tributes continue to pour in for Dylan, who had lost his friend and fellow skydiver Aiden Chaffe in a similar accident in 2018.
The base jumper’s brother Alex said he was ‘heartbroken’ at the news, writing on Facebook: “In the last few weeks we spent time together and he was the happiest he’s been in years, and excited to be living a full life again.
“He cared for his people so much and always had so much love to give. Words can’t express how lost we are without you Dylan, I love you so much.
“Rest easy in the skies our kid.”
A message on the online BASE forum BLINC said Dylan - who they nicknamed ‘English’ - was a ‘kind and gentle soul’ who ‘experienced trauma’ over the loss of his friend and a neck injury related to skydiving.
They added: “He was determined to make this year a positive year and was always full of bright, bubbly energy. He will be missed very much by many people.”
Speaking about the incident, a spokesperson for the local police force in Brento said: "We received a call from the mountain rescue services informing us of an accident and a crew was sent to the scene.
"The body of a British man was recovered and the consulate in Milan was informed.
"The prosecutor has also been informed and a report will be compiled for the office at a later stage."
The Foreign Office said it is supporting Dylan’s family and is in contact with local authorities.
Daisy Phillipson