Man’s fatal 400m plunge from mountain

A base jumper who had completed nearly 600 jumps has died after plunging 400 metres from a mountaintop in northern Italy.

Man’s fatal 400m plunge from mountaintop in Italy. Picture: Instagram/MarkAndrews

A base jumper has died after plunging 400 metres from a mountaintop in northern Italy.

Mark Andrews, 65, from the UK, was killed after he fell down a rock face in Trentino — a province renowned for its mountains.

Mr Andrews was instantly killed after the horror fall that took place at a popular base jumping spot in the Dolomites on Saturday morning.

He was reportedly wearing a wing suit at the time and a parachute, however it remains unclear if he was unable to deploy it, according to theDaily Mail.

Police are investigating he circumstances around the tragic fall.

Mr Andrews, a retired engineer and thrillseeker who had completed nearly 600 jumps, reportedly ventured to the site alone.

Mark Andrews, 65, from the UK, tragically died after he fell 400 metres from a mountaintop in Trentino, Italy. Picture: Instagram/learntobasejump

Another base jumper witnessed the incident and called emergency services.

A mountain rescue helicopter was brought in to recover his body, which was later flown to a nearby hospital to await repatriation.

Italian media reported Mr Andrews died close to the spot where another British skydiver perished exactly a year before.

He was killed instantly while at the popular jumping spot in the Italian Dolomites. Picture: Instagram/MarkAndrews

The retired engineer was reportedly a latecomer to the sport, but completed nearly 600 jumps before his death. Picture: Instagram/MarkAndrews

A base jumper and friend of Mr Andrews said: “He came to base jumping quite late. He’s only been doing it since 2014 but he packed a lot into those nine years,” they told the Daily Mail.

“He was fearless and will be missed. He was a regular in Italy at various Base jumping events, but had also base jumped all over the world off bridges and skyscrapers.”

It is understood that Mr Andrews died close to the spot where another British skydiver perished exactly a year before.

Mr Andrews was originally from Cornwall but lived in Bucharest where his wife is from. Picture: Instagram/MarkAndrews

Another base jumper told the publication the area where the accident occurred is “one of the most dangerous”, describing it as “quite tricky”.

“It’s not a straight forward descent, there are rock and tree ledges for the first 400 metres before it then hits a straight 1500 metres straight down,” they said.

“You have to be careful with the wind as well and that’s why only experienced professionals jump from that point with others heading to another location about 30km away at Mt Brenta.”

Mr Andrews was originally from Cornwall but moved to Bucharest, Romania where his wife is from.

Base jumping is an extreme sport that involves leaping from fixed objects such as buildings, bridges and cliff faces, using a parachute to descend to the ground.

According to the Base Fatality List, there’s been 444 deaths in the past 42 years.