By Jenny Suo
Friends and family of the New Zealander who fell to his death while base jumping in Switzerland have spoken about the passionate and loving man they've lost.
Alan McCandlish was an experienced base jumper with years of training under his belt.
The 31-year-old was base jumping with two friends in Switzerland when his drop took him too close to the cliff face and he hit a rock. He died at the scene.
“I think it was just a bit of a wind change or something,” says his father Richard McCandlish.
“We’ll know when he gets home, I’ll talk to the mates that went over with him.”
Close friends told 3 News Mr McCandlish was a passionate man who always put safety first. They said he will be sadly missed among the New Zealand base jumping community.
In 2008 Mr McCandlish was one of the first to base jump off the Kaipo wall in Fiordland, the biggest vertical cliff in New Zealand.
He knew the risks involved in his sport, and acknowledged them in an interview last year.
"All of my close friends and myself have been witness to a fatality. That's the reality. We don't dwell on it or fear it. But it's something you have to understand when you become involved with base."
One sky diving expert and former base jumper says it's a sport few people are cut out for
“If they're going to be in the sport for a long time, they’ve got to be a person who can think straight, who is methodical and is very safety conscious,” says Dave Cogan.
Mr McCandlish's family is now working to get his body back to New Zealand by the end of this week
3 News