BASE Jumping in the Lauterbrunnen Valley: A Retrospective Cohort Study from 2007 to 2016.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2023-02-12 · Observational study
Abstract
BACKGROUND: BASE jumping, and especially BASE jumping with the help of wingsuits, is considered one of the most dangerous airborne sports. The valley of Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland has become infamous for the large number of BASE jumps and the high rate of accidents and fatalities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the morbidity and mortality of BASE jumping, to determine the severity of injuries and injury patterns of BASE jumping accidents and to compare preclinical assessment with clinical diagnoses to detect under- or overtriage. METHODS: This retrospective, descriptive cohort study covers a period of 10 years (2007-2016). The evaluation covered all BASE jumping incidents in the valley of Lauterbrunnen that required either a helicopter mission by the local HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) company of Lauterbrunnen, Air Glaciers, or medical care in the regional hospital, the level I trauma centre or the medical practice of the local general practitioner. Besides demographic data, experience in BASE jumping and skydiving as well as BASE jumping technique(s) and details about the rescue missions were collected. The medical data focused on the severity of injuries, as expressed by the National Advisory Committee of Aeronautics (NACA) score in the prehospital assessment as well as the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and Injury Severity Score (ISS) retrieved from the clinical records in the hospital or medical practice setting. RESULTS: The patients were predominantly young, experienced male BASE jumpers. Morbidity (injury risk) ranged from 0.05% to 0.2%, and fatality risk from 0.02% to 0.08%. Undertriage was low, with only two cases. Overtriage was significant, with 73.2% of all NACA 4-6 cases not qualifying for major trauma. CONCLUSIONS: BASE jumping remains a high-risk sport and is associated with significant rates of injuries and fatalities. Comparison with previous studies indicated that the injury rate may have decreased, but the fatality rate had not. In this known BASE jumping environment, prehospital assessment appears to be good, as we found a low undertriage rate. The high overtriage rate might be an expression of physicians' awareness of high-velocity trauma mechanisms and possible deceleration injuries.
Abstract © the authors or publisher, via PubMed. Reuse and removal
Tags
Helicopter & air ambulance · Mortality & survival
Related articles
- Epidemiology and severity of mountain rescue missions in Poland: a retrospective study of 9,477 patients rescued by the Tatra Mountain Rescue Service. (Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med, 2026)
- Aviation Sports Crashes in the Austrian Mountains: A 10-Year Retrospective Study. (Wilderness Environ Med, 2020)
- The epidemiology of canyoning rescue operations in Italy: a retrospective 15-year database study. (Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med, 2026)
- Survival probability in avalanche victims with long burial (≥60 min): A retrospective study. (Resuscitation, 2021)
- Accessory Climbing Routes Associated With More Rescue Operations Than the Main Climbing Route: A Retrospective 12-Year Report of Yushan National Park. (Wilderness Environ Med, 2022)
- Medical problems requiring mountain rescues from 1985 to 2007 in Yu-Shan National Park, Taiwan. (High Alt Med Biol, 2009)