It has been an incredibly rough week in the BASE jumping community. Italian Uli Emanuele recently filmed his own death in the Dolomites (the footage has not been released and there are conflicting reports on exactly where Emanuele was), then pioneering BASE athlete Alexander Polli reportedly perished when he impacted a tree in a steep chute above Chamonix, France.
To top it off in absolutely tragic fashion, Italian BASE jump and wingsuit pilot Armin Schmieder reportedly died in the Swiss Alps while he was using Facebook Live to broadcast his jump. The broadcast shows Schmieder, 28, getting prepared as he speaks to the audience. He then takes off after putting the phone in his pocket. The wind can be heard whipping through his suit, then a loud impact followed by what sounds like cow bells as the transmission comes to an end.
Officers on the ground confirmed the death but there was no word on what caused the crash. There are reports that Schmieder’s mother and brother commented on the Facebook Live post wondering about his safety. In eery irony during the broadcast, Schmieder says, “Today, you fly with me.”
