Wingsuit flier found dead after cliff jump
Print Edition
A WINGSUIT flier from Hungary died after his parachute failed to deploy during a jump into a gorge in central China.
Rescuers retrieved Victor Kovats’ body from the foot of a 100-meter cliff yesterday morning. He had crashed into the cliff and smashed his skull, they said.
Rough, steep roads made it extremely difficult to carry the body down from where it had been found, the rescuers said.
Kovats had been preparing for the Second World Wingsuit Championship, due to be held at the Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park in southern Hunan Province from tomorrow to Sunday.
Competitors are required to jump about 700 meters from the cliffs of the Tianmen Mountain.
A wingsuit is an aerodynamic jumpsuit that allows the wearer to soar for long distances before opening a parachute.
Kovats made his jump at 2:51pm on Tuesday, wearing an orange wingsuit. Three other fliers had successfully completed trial jumps but witnesses lost sight of Kovats after he jumped.
Nearly 200 firefighters and police officers were involved in the search and rescue operation.
The World Wingsuit League posted a notice on its website yesterday, saying: “He will always be remembered for his deep passion for life and his spirit of adventure, and he will be sadly missed in the wingsuit community.
“As a result of this tragedy we will conduct a thorough review of the events that led to this accident and adopt any appropriate changes for the future of the World Wingsuit League.”
The incident may be related to a technical error during the trial flight, said competition organizers. It was also possible Kovats was pushed off course by a gust of wind and crashed into the forest.
Kovats was a three-time Hungarian national champion who had completed 700 jumps.
Kovats’s body has been sent to a local funeral home. The Hungarian Embassy in China has contacted the competition organizers and informed Kovats’ family.
Event organizers said yesterday afternoon that the championship would continue as scheduled.
The First World Wingsuit Championship was held at the Tianmen Mountain last year with the participation of 15 fliers from nine countries.
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