Posted on 11/19/2004 7:20:23 PM PST by Rakkasan1
Land of 10,000 Pieces.
What wrong with woodworking?
If this is a hobby so is Russian Roulette.
Maybe that is why he was jumping . . .
I remember a BASE story about a jumper in Virginia Beach whose chute wrapped around a guy wire.
Talk about the "slide for life" (or in his case, death.)
BASE jumper dies in leap off radio tower
Brooklyn Park skydiver, known as expert in risky hobby, apparently misjudged area
BY KEVIN HARTER
Pioneer Press
The Infinity Broadcasting tower is almost twice the height of the Target building in Minneapolis.
In the high-risk world of parachute jumping from buildings, towers and other relatively low-altitude structures, Erich J. Wagar was the best in the area, according to friends and fellow skydivers.
He had made at least 50 BASE jumps (leaps from buildings, antennas, spans and Earth), said longtime friend and employer Kerry McCauley, and was "probably the most experienced jumper around."
Wagar's final jump was Wednesday afternoon near Somerset, Wis.
He slammed into a hill after a leap from the Infinity Broadcasting radio tower in heavy fog and died at the scene, according to police. Authorities — who emphasize that such jumps are illegal — say it appears he misjudged the terrain and opened his parachute too late.
Wagar, 32, of Brooklyn Park, ascended the 940-foot Infinity Broadcasting tower about five miles northeast of Somerset with fellow jumper Eric D. Lunder, 29, of Hutchinson, at about 1 p.m., according to St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead.
Wagar jumped first, and Lunder followed almost immediately when he saw Wagar's chute open, Hillstead said.
The tower is surrounded by flat ground except for a hill rising 150 feet to the east. Wagar appears to have drifted to the east and hit the top of the hill before his parachute opened fully to break his fall, Hillstead said.
Lunder, who landed safely, cut his parachute and rushed to Wagar, administered CPR and called 911.
Friends said Wagar was experienced in skydiving as well as BASE jumping and loved the thrill of both.
Unlike skydivers, BASE jumpers don't have a reserve parachute, said Rose Eakins, owner of Skydive Hutchinson and a longtime friend of Wagar's and Lunder's. Skydivers jump out of planes, and the U.S. Parachute Association recommends skydivers open their chutes at 2,000 feet. Most BASE jumpers leap from 1,000 feet or less, Eakins said.
"BASE jumping is totally different from skydiving," she said. "There are no second chances. Two seconds can be the difference between life and death."
Local skydivers say there are only a small number of BASE jumpers in the Twin Cities area. McCauley, Wagar's boss at Baldwin, Wis.-based Skydive Twin Cities, where Wagar was an instructor and aerial photographer, said most of Wagar's BASE jumps were made in the West, including Colorado and Utah, and overseas, including Malaysia, where BASE jumping is legal.
"Other than antenna towers, there aren't many BASE jumping opportunities around here, which is why they go someplace else," McCauley said.
Sheriff Hillstead said he is not aware of any other jumps from the Somerset tower or other structures in the county. Neighboring law enforcement officials, including Ramsey County, said they were also not aware of any jumps.
In January 2001, William Casey Byrnes of Hopkins jumped off the 35-story Target Corp. headquarters under construction in downtown Minneapolis and broke his leg when he smashed into the building on his way down.
Wagar was watching Byrnes, who was best man at his wedding, from below and was later quoted as saying: "Most skydivers wouldn't go anywhere near BASE jumping. You're free-falling, accelerating to the ground, but you're in control."
On Thursday, family and friends who gathered at Wagar's Brooklyn Park home to support his wife, Gretchen, and toddler son, Max, declined to talk about him.
But some who knew him, including Miles Hubbard, a St. Cloud State professor and parachutist, said they will miss Wagar as a friend and a talented skydiver and jumper.
"He enjoyed jumping from airplanes as well as fixed objects such as antennas, buildings, cliffs and bridges," said Hubbard, who called Wagar "the most experienced BASE jumper in the region."
Many more expressions of regret over the death of Wagar — who had recently competed in the Royal Gorge Go Fast Games in Colorado — were posted on an online forum for BASE jumpers at http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/.
One e-mail attributed to Lunder describes the circumstances of Wagar's death and says: "Erich was one of my best friends and was a friend to many people around the world. … The world is a lesser place due to his passing." Lunder could not be reached Thursday for comment.
The investigation into Wagar's death continues. There were no witnesses other than Lunder, Hillstead said, and it appears the fog and elevation were the fatal factors .
When complete, the investigation will be turned over to the St. Croix County district attorney for review. The Somerset tower is private property, and Lunder could face misdemeanor charges for trespassing and disorderly conduct, Hillstead said.
"Those who don't agree with my husband's medical coverage program for Base Jumpers, are idiots!"
Concerning the two he left behind my wife said, "They're probably better off ....."
They don't last that long. One of the real fun things to cotemplate is what happens if you don't get far enough away from the tower and your chute opens against it.
LOL!
Now, if you're are engaged in a crime and a person dies
aren't you liable for some kind of homicide charges.
Just like automobile accidents?
ROFL!
We have an observation in the south for such "Darwinian" award activity. The last words out of a redneck's mouth: "Hold my beer and watch this."
If one becomes tango-uniform attempting a stunt like this, then I do not think he can be considered an 'expert'.
Red
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.