Caught On Camera: SoCal BASE Jumper Latest Casualty In Death-Defying Sport

(CBSLA.com) — Hours before Southern California resident Ian Sanders died in a BASE jumping accident on Tuesday, he shot footage for a documentary about the high numbers of deaths in the sport.

The experienced BASE jumper and wingsuit flyer had traveled to Turkey for an extreme sports event.

The gorge of the Karasu, or "dark water" river in the eastern part of the country provided a dramatic venue for a pastime that is as spectacular as it is dangerous. Flanders' first jump went fine.

"It was a gorgeous flight, a beautiful view of the town. You get to kind of fly over, fly over the town," Flanders told a local TV crew. "We landed in the river, which was also actually kind of fun."

But when Flanders performed his last jump of the day, cameras were rolling when parachute chords got tangled around his legs.

The 37-year-old fell into a rocky cliff face.

Flanders was the 264th BASE jumper to die since record keeping in the sport began.