A Newport Beach man died in a freak accident after a BASE jumping attempt in Turkey.
Ian Flanders, a 37-year-old BASE jumper and wing flier, was performing a jump from about 950 feet while visiting Turkey for an event when the lines from his parachute became tangled around his legs. He died upon impact when he hit water.
Flanders had performed numerous BASE jumps before the fatal accident.
Donald Schultz, a friend of Flanders and former BASE jumper, was stunned by Flanders' death.
"It's literally like snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It's a huge shock for the entire community," Schultz said.
Friends said the BASE jump Flanders attempted when he died was supposed to be easy.
"It's like going and racing a NASCAR race and crashing on the way home," Schultz said
U.S. & World
Flanders' death was the 264th BASE jumper death on record.
