Eiffel Tower fatality

[dragon2 0]

In the Dutch news today:
http://www.nu.nl/news/527023/21/Dodelijke_parachutesprong_van_Eiffeltoren.html

Deadly parachute jump from Eiffel Tower

A 31 yr old Norwegian died because of a failed parachute jump from the Eiffeltower in Paris. So said the police tuesday. He tried jumping from the 2nd level but hit the metal structure of the second floor and died instantly.

The incident happened monday evening after the tower closing time. The still ongoing investigation revealed that the man and 2 other Norwegians had hid on the 2nd level, apperantly looking to avoid closing time. When the 31 yr old jumped, the 2 others were supposedly filming.

The police has taken the other 2 Norwegians in for questioning.


original text:
Dodelijke parachutesprong van Eiffeltoren

Uitgegeven: 17 mei 2005 13:29
Laatst gewijzigd: 17 mei 2005 13:32
PARIJS - Een 31-jarige Noor is om het leven gekomen door een mislukte parachutesprong van de Eiffeltoren in Parijs. Dat heeft de politie dinsdag meegedeeld. Hij probeerde van het tweede niveau naar beneden te springen, maar sloeg tegen de metalen structuur van de eerste etage en overleed op slag.

Het incident deed zich maandagavond na sluitingstijd van de toren voor. Uit het onderzoek, dat nog gaande is, is gebleken dat de man en twee andere Noren zich op het tweede niveau verborgen hadden, kennelijk met het oogmerk de sluitingstijd te omzeilen. Terwijl de 31-jarige man sprong, zouden de anderen aan het filmen zijn geweest.

De politie heeft de twee andere Noren voor verhoor meegenomen.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[leroydb 0]

anyone know who? PM if not comfy with posting.

Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...

[klapaucius 0]

This is a babelfish translation from
http://news.tf1.fr/news/france/0,,3219783,00.html

which I edited slightly

A 31 year old Norwegian died Monday evening while jumping with parachute, without authorization, from the Eiffel Tower. The police force opened an investigation. Previously, four Norwegians had been intercepted towards 15h00 by the service of safety of the Montparnasse Tower where two of them were on the point of jumping in parachute of the top of the building from altitude of 210 meters.

Both "bases-jumpers" (jumping in parachute from a fixed, real point or natural feature) wanted to make an advertising film for a brand of clothing for young people.

In the Eiffel Tower incident, three Norwegians, most probably of the same group, let themselves lock up in the Tower, according to the police force, and one jumped in parachute, around 22h00, from the second level (115 meters). A spokesman of the Eiffel Tower told Agence France Press that the monument closes only at midnight and that at the time of the jump, the public was normally admited there. The victim fell onto the structures of the first level of the famous monument and died on impact, according to the police force. His/her two comrades were questionned by the local police (?) which took over the investigation.

The accidents resulting from a jump with parachute or delta wing from the Eiffel Tower, are very rare and deaths occuring are there are out of desperation.
First base-jumper, Franz Reichelt, died while jumping on February 4, 1912 from the first level with a parachute of his own creation. His five seconds jump had been filmed.

The rest is about security on Eiffel tower

[lifewithoutanet 0]

My deepest condolences to the jumper's family and friends.

-C.

[TomAiello 25]

CNN Report here.

Quote

Eiffel Tower parachutist killed
Tuesday, May 17, 2005 Posted: 8:03 AM EDT (1203 GMT)

PARIS, France (AP) -- A Norwegian man was killed after jumping from the Eiffel Tower when a parachute he was wearing got stuck on an upper deck of the monument, officials said Tuesday.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the man planned to film his jump as part of publicity for a Norwegian clothing brand, police said.

The man, 31, entered the tower on Monday evening with a hidden parachute and a helmet that had a small video camera attached to it, said the official at Paris' police headquarters.

Upon reaching the Eiffel Tower's 115-meter-high (380-foot-high) second deck, the man jumped. Investigators believe his parachute got caught in the tower's structure, causing it to detach from his body.

He continued his fall without the parachute, crashing onto the 55-meter-high (182-foot-high) first deck of the famous Paris landmark, according to police and an official for SNTE, the company that manages the Eiffel Tower.

Norwegian foreign ministry spokeswoman Anne Lene Sandsten said the man was Norwegian.

Hundreds have died at the tower, which is 324 meters (1,063 feet) tall with its flagpole, since it opened as a star attraction of the Paris World Fair of 1889.

Most of the deaths were suicides. The first was reportedly a printer's mechanic who hanged himself from the tower's north pillar in 1891, bequeathing his clothes to builder Gustave Eiffel in his will.

The tower also has long attracted daredevils. A British couple successfully parachuted from the top deck in 1984. A New Zealander bungee-jumped off the second floor in 1987.

Franz Reichel, a mustachioed Austrian tailor, was killed leaping from the first deck in 1912 to test a tent-like parachute coat he had invented. He is said to have died of fright before hitting the ground.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[TomAiello 25]

All,

This is likely to be something of a media circus. Please refrain from posting speculation regarding the actual mechanics of the jump, as such posts have been quoted in the press before.

Thanks!

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[DexterBase 0]

Peace Brother...

[Sean621 0]

condolences to the guys family,loved ones and friends.

http://www.extreme-on-demand.com

[Nukrites 0]

"his parachute got caught in the tower's structure, causing it to detach from his body.

He continued his fall without the parachute"?????????????????????????????? wtf ???

[Faber 0]

Fly free brother
condolance to family and freinds

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[TomAiello 25]

Quote

"his parachute got caught in the tower's structure, causing it to detach from his body.

He continued his fall without the parachute"?????????????????????????????? wtf ???

Let's avoid speculation on this. There are still people who could face charges over this, and internet supposition about what might or might not have happened is unlikely to be helpful.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Deuce 1]

Any information on rig or canopy? I realize the need for circumspection, but some details would be appreciated. The media reports sound somewhat like a cutaway occurred.

If necessary, please PM me.

More appropriate to ask here, or in incidents?

JP

[robibird 2]

It was Olov Axel Kappfjell. Confirmed in Norwegian newspapers.
Olov was Thor Alex's brother who died 1999 in Norway
My deepest condolences to his family and friends

http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=277689

Robert Pecnik
[email protected]
www.phoenix-fly.com

[freeflysoul 0]

What a sad news...
My deepest condolences to his family and his friends!
Dark days...
BSBD

3,2,1,C-YA!!!
V.
BASE #1075 / BMI #I-002 / PFI #042 / EGI #104

[RhondaLea 3]

I'm just...stunned.

Fly free, Axel, and give a hug to Thor Alex from me.

rl

[BASE813 0]

Quote

It was Olov Axel Kappfjell. Confirmed in Norwegian newspapers.
Olov was Thor Alex's brother who died 1999 in Norway
My deepest condolences to his family and friends

http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=277689

thoughts to the family...........


and to friends

[JOY 0]

My heart goes out to his mom and dad. I met them both when Thor Alex hosted my brother and I at Kjerag in 99. Jumped with him that morning and he died that night. His family and a lot of friends went 1000 miles north to Moriana for his funeral including the very first Fin and Norwegian cliff jumpers. Olav and Thor's dad was an old military aviator. All night after the funeral he had a long bird feather sticking out of his jacket pocket. I asked him what kind of bird it was from and he said, "It's a bird that flies". I'm sorry that they must endure another son losing his wings. Their spirits are alive above Andelsnes with the Troll spirits.
Rick Harrison

[email protected]

[willh 0]

My most heart felt condolences to the family in these difficult times.

Will