Perth father James Nowland dies after BASE jumping competition in Dolomite mountains, Italy

Sky News AU

18-07-2025

A father from Western Australia has died in a tragic accident whilst taking part in an international BASE-jumping competition in Italy.
James Nowland, 42 from Perth, was skydiving in the Dolomite Mountains in north eastern Italy along with a group of other Australians when his parachute encountered suspected technical difficulties at 1pm local time.
Italy's ANSA news agency reports that Mr Nowland jumped from the summit of Sass Pordoi during the event, and overshot his landing zone, crashing into a road some 400 metres away.
The organisers of the competition have yet to issue a statement on Mr Nowland's death, whose social media accounts show him jumping at locations around the world.
His last post on Instagram shows him BASE jumping in China.
Speaking to 7NEWS, rescuer Andrea Dorigatti said, 'We tried our best to save (him), but there was nothing to do for him.'
She added: 'I asked the friends, and they told me that the problem was with the parachute that didn't get open.'
ANSA news agency reported that after the local fire brigade cleared the scene, police took Mr Nowland's body down the mountain by ambulance.
His brother Adrian Nowland posted a tribute on social media, saying he wished the pair had been able to share more adventures together.
'Hope you're soaring through the clouds doing what you love forever,' he said.
BASE jumping is an extreme sport that involves jumping off high objects, with BASE an acronym that stands for buildings, antennas, spans (bridges) and Earth (cliffs).
According to the Australian BASE association, the dangers associated with the sport are 'obvious and very real.'
In a statement posted online, it said many Australians who partake in BASE jumping go overseas to partake in the sport because it is all but banned in Australia.
Mr Nowland, who 7NEWS described as a popular figure in the BASE-jumping community leaves behind a wife and young children.
Tragically, it was also reported that Felix Baumgartner, the man who performed a skydive from the edge of space in 2012 died in a paragliding accident in central Italy, with police alleging he lost control of his motorised paraglider whilst flying over Porto Sant'Elpidio.