'These guys are cognisant of the risk' - US base jumper dies on Table Mountain

An American base jumper, Brendan Weinstein, died on Monday while attempting a jump near Table Mountain, crashing onto the busy Platteklip Gorge hiking trail.

Base jumping is prohibited in the Table Mountain National Park, and authorities have warned that such stunts put both jumpers and tourists at risk.

Former skydiver Jeff Ayliffe says the jump was highly technical and that Weinstein had reportedly flown directly from the US to the site without consulting local base jumpers. 

"He hadn’t contacted any of the local base jumping fraternity to speak to them about this exit point, and this exit point has been jumped many times successfully. It is a very technical jump, however, and it had very sad consequences.

Ayliffe adds, "Brendan Weinstein is considered one of the most experienced base jumpers; he has a huge following in America. His technical ability is incredible; he's done many, many jumps. A jump like Platteklip, for example, the guy will never just go and do it; they will do lots of jumps first."

He notes that this is only the third base jumping death in South Africa, and that careful preparation is critical. 

"These guys are very cognisant of the risk they are taking."

Base jumping, a sport in which participants leap from cliffs, bridges, or buildings before deploying a parachute, remains extremely dangerous despite advances in equipment.

To listen to Ayliffe in conversation with CapeTalk’s John Maytham, use the audio player below: