A 32-year-old base jumper fatally crashed into a rock face after jumping from an out-of-bounds launch point.
The horror unfolded shortly after Matteo Rodolfo Maranca jumped with a friend.
He crashed into the rock face after losing control of his parachute, it is understood.
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Following the accident, his friend went to a nearby sports centre and raised the alarm.
Emergency medics, police, and mountain rescuers were dispatched, along with a helicopter.
Maranca was pronounced dead at the scene on Monday (9 Dec) morning.
The horror unfolded in Campione del Garda in Brescia Province, Italy.
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 (referring to radio masts), spans (bridges) and earth (cliffs).
Maranca was born in Pinerolo, Turin Province, and lived in Bagnolo Piemonte, Cuneo Province.
He would have turned 33 today (13 Dec).
The spot he jumped from was declared out of bounds as a launch point by the mayoralty in 2019, following a series of accidents.
Despite the ban, the location remained popular among air sports enthusiasts.
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority says BASE jumpers must deploy their parachutes no lower than 750 m (2,461 ft) above the ground.
But in Campione del Garda, the cliff is only 280 m (919 ft) high.
Furthermore, the authority specifies a 50×50 m (164×164 ft) landing field, which the village also lacks.
Maranca loved the mountains and sports, including ski mountaineering, cycling, and climbing.
He had taken up air sports some years ago despite a prior accident on a trip to the mountains.
He was reached by search and rescue volunteers hours after the incident in the Po Valley, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Maranca is survived by his parents and his sister.
Bagnolo Piemonte deputy mayor Chiaffredo Maurino said: “We are all deeply saddened by this news and can only express our heartfelt condolences to the entire family.”
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