Base jumper Matteo Rodolfo Maranca has died after reportedly losing control of his parachute and smashing into a rock face – he had jumped off from a banned launch point
A base jumper has tragically died after leaping from a banned launch point.
Matteo Rodolfo Maranca, 32, from Italy, reportedly lost control of his parachute and fatally crashed into a rock face after jumping with a friend from the spot in Campione del Garda in Brescia Province, Italy.
Emergency medics, police, and mountain rescuers were dispatched along with a helicopter after the friend rushed to a nearby sports centre and raised the alarm. Maranca was sadly pronounced dead at the scene on Monday morning.
Maranca was born in Pinerolo, Turin Province, and lived in Bagnolo Piemonte, Cuneo Province. He would have turned 33 years old on Friday.
The spot he jumped from was declared out of bounds by the local authorities in 2019 following a series of accidents. It had remained a popular launch point for base jumpers despite the ban.
Base jumping is the recreational sport of jumping from fixed objects, using a parachute to descend to the ground. Base is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump – buildings, antennas, spans (bridges) and earth (cliffs).
According to the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, base jumpers must deploy their parachutes no lower than 750m (2,461ft) above the ground. However, the cliff in Campione del Garda is only 280m (919ft) high. The area also lacks a landing field of the recommended 50x50m (164x164ft) size.
Maranca was reportedly a keen mountaineer and extreme sports enthusiast. He got into air sports some years ago despite a prior accident on a trip in Italy’s Po Valley. It took search and rescue volunteers hours to reach him after that incident.
Bagnolo Piemonte deputy mayor Chiaffredo Maurino said following his death: “We are all deeply saddened by this news and can only express our heartfelt condolences to the entire family.” Maranca leaves behind his parents and his sister.
