Dwain Weston

Dwain Weston (31 January 1973 – 5 October 2003 (aged 30)) was an Australian skydiver, BASE jumper and wingsuiter.

BASE jumping career

Weston, who was originally from Sydney, Australia, worked as a computer analyst.[1][2] He made over 1200 BASE jumps in ten different countries, including a jump from the 73rd floor of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was considered one of the best and most experienced BASE jumpers in the world.[1][2] In 2002, he won the world title in BASE jumping.[3] He served as president of the Australian BASE Association (ABA). He was among the first BASE jumpers to introduce acrobatic elements in the jumps, and was a pioneer in various jumping techniques.[1][2]

Death

The Royal Gorge Bridge

On 5 October 2003, while participating in the inaugural Go Fast Games, Weston was killed attempting to fly over the Royal Gorge Bridge near Cañon City, Colorado.[1][4] Weston was wearing a wingsuit, a skydiving suit with fabric extended below the arms to the body and between the legs to catch air allowing for horizontal travel when skydiving.[1] Weston was to go over the bridge while fellow skydiver Jeb Corliss was to go under it.[2][5][6] Just prior to the jump, Weston said to Corliss, "Whatever happens happens".[5]

Miscalculating the winds[1] and his distance from the bridge, Weston struck a railing while traveling an estimated 120 mph (190 km/h), killing him instantly and severing one of his legs at the hip. Weston then fell onto a rock face about 90 m from the bottom of the gorge.[2][5][6]

Prizes

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References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Aussie skydiver falls to death". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 October 2003. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Base jumper was 'meticulous'". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 October 2003. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "BASE Jumping World Championship Stats". Johnny Utah. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  4. ↑ Times Wire Reports (6 October 2003). "Stunt Attempt Proves Fatal for Skydiver". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Jones, Lola (16 November 2008). "The Legend's last jump on the last day - whatever happens happens". XtremeSport. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Martin, Bruce; Wagstaff, Mark, eds. (2012). "Controversial Issue 11: Should extreme sports, such as BASE jumping and other high-risk sports, be included in adventure programming?". Controversial Issues in Adventure Programming. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-4504-1091-5.

External links