Sergey Shpitzin, a 35-year-old resident of Ashdod, and one of Israel’s most well-known parkour and extreme artists, was killed in the last day while skiing in the Lauterbrunnen valley in Switzerland, where he had been hiking for the past few weeks.
Shpitzin, known as the “Jumping Buddha”, has gained a large following over the years thanks to videos in which he documented extreme stunts, jumping between buildings, hanging on cranes and soaring from great heights. In 2023, there was an uproar in Ashdod after a recording of a jump from the roof of a tall building in the city was circulated on the networks. In those days he said that he “does it for fun”.
During his stay in Switzerland, Shapizin went for another glide, but after he did not return to his hotel room and did not make contact, his friends and family informed him of his absence. One of his friends published a post on Instagram in which he reported that Shpitzin had disappeared and that any information might help to locate him. The rescue teams started searching, and after many hours, Shpitzin’s body was found in the gliding area.
ZAKA said that the ZAKA 360 unit is working together with the authorities in Switzerland to return his body to Israel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the incident is known to the Israeli embassy in Switzerland, and that it is accompanying the family and working with the local authorities until the necessary procedures are completed. Shapitzin, who moved to live in Sderot in recent years, is expected to be buried in the city.