One of the world’s most renowned wingsuit pilots has died after diving off a famous South African mountain and hitting rocks below.
Daredevil Brendan Weinsten, 32, did not manage to pull up in time and was seen by tourists smashing into large boulders close to Table Mountain in South Africa.
Pilot Weinstein – who leaves behind partner Kivia Martins and a baby son, Eiger – had travelled to Cape Town alone to do the difficult flight.
It’s believed the Red Bull star took a cable car to the top, hiding his parachute and wingsuit from staff who would have stopped him if they had seen them.
He then walked to the spot where he jumped around 9am, and was spotted by dozens of American and British tourists who witnessed him fall.
Weinstein, originally from Utah, had completed over 1600 wing suit flights, 800 base jumps and 1000 parachute jumps and was a world expert.
He crashed into the rocks below 10 seconds after jumping (Picture: Wilderness Search and Rescue)
But on Monday morning, when he dived off the 1086m high Table Mountain, he crashed at a speed of 120mph.
Wilderness Search & Rescue and SanParks rangers were alerted and sent teams along with a helicopter to search the front of the mountain for his body.
The severely injured pilot was found at 10am and airlifted by helicopter off Table Mountain to an ambulance surrounded by tourists on the road below.
Former South African skydiver Jeff Ayliffe says the jump was highly technical and that Weinstein had reportedly flown directly from the US to the site without consulting local base jumpers.
Brendan leaves behind his wife and baby son (Picture: Facebook)
He said: ‘Brendan hadn’t contacted any of the local base jumping fraternity to speak to them about this exit point, and this exit point has been jumped many times successfully.
‘It is a very technical jump, however, and it had very sad consequences. Brendan Weinstein is considered one of the most experienced base jumpers in the world, and he has a huge following in America.
‘His technical ability is incredible; he’s done many, many jumps. This is only our third base jumping death in South Africa.’
It was meant to be another stunning display of human courage against gravity — a wingsuit pilot diving off the edge of a 1,000-foot mountain, carving through the air at speeds exceeding 120 mph. Instead, it ended in tragedy, leaving behind shocked friends, a grieving spouse and a stark reminder of how fleeting life can be when you live on the edge of danger.
The wingsuit pilot, identified in reports as 32-year-old American Brendan Weinstein, was widely respected within the extreme sports community — a veteran of more than 1,600 wingsuit flights, along with hundreds of parachute and BASE jumps. He had dedicated much of his life to mastering flight through unpowered means, pushing the limits of what the human body and spirit could endure.
On that fateful day, he launched himself into the skies above Table Mountain National Park in South Africa, a towering and breathtaking natural landmark known for its sheer cliffs and panoramic views over Cape Town. The jump was in a section called Platteklip Gorge, a rugged terrain that has attracted thrill-seekers for years despite local authorities strictly prohibiting BASE jumping and wingsuit flying in the protected area.
Search and rescue teams were scrambled shortly after witnesses reported a fast-moving figure hurtling downwards, the roar of wind telling them something was terribly wrong. Within hours, rescuers located his body less than a mile below the launch point, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The recovery operation involved ground crews and aerial support, underscoring the severity of the incident and the terrain’s danger.
The tragedy sparked an outpouring of grief across social media and within the wingsuit community. His wife shared her sorrow online, describing the loss of her husband as “far too soon,” and expressing gratitude that others would remember him through the stories and memories they shared. She also spoke of their young son, saying one day she hoped he would understand his father through the powerful mark he left on others.
Authorities also renewed warnings about the dangers of illegal BASE and wingsuit jumping in the national park. Officials reiterated that such activities are banned under environmental protection laws, partly because of the severe risk to human life and the difficulty of conducting rescue operations in such treacherous terrain.
For many, the story raises painful questions about why experienced adventurers — even those with thousands of jumps under their belt — continue to take such extreme risks. Some see their actions as a pursuit of true freedom and mastery over fear; others view it as a stark example of how perilous that balance can be between thrill and tragedy.
Wingsuit flying, while awe-inspiring, remains one of the most dangerous forms of aerial sport, demanding split-second precision and leaving no room for error. At speeds over 100 mph, the margin between success and catastrophe can be frighteningly thin — a reality that this pilot and his family now know all too well.
