A man has died after trying to BASE jump off the Grand Canyon with just a parachute.
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A statement by the National Park Service’s Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center confirmed the center received a report on Thursday. The report claimed a visitor had attempted a BASE jump from Yavapai Point on the South Rim.
“Park rangers responded and located the body of a deceased male approximately 500 feet below the rim, along with a deployed parachute,” the statement read.
“Recovery teams were able to reach the victim this morning. The body was transported to the rim by helicopter and subsequently transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office,” the NPS continued. “The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are conducting an investigation into the incident.”
Man Dies After Base Jumping off Grand Canyon
Authorities have not yet released the name of the deceased man, pending positive identification.
BASE jumping is a high-risk activity that involves jumping from object to object with a parachute. Such fixed objects include buildings, antennas, spans, and Earth (hence “BASE”). For safety reasons, it is prohibited in the Grand Canyon National Park.
This tragic death comes just one day after the devastating loss of Abel Joseph Mejia, a 20-year-old college student. Mejia accidentally fell to his death at the Grand Canyon on July 1.
“On Wednesday, July 31 at 10:40 a.m., the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of a visitor who fell from the rim approximately ¼ mile west of Pipe Creek Overlook,” the center said in a statement. “Responding rangers located the body of Abel Joseph Mejia, 20, of Hickory, North Carolina 400 ft. below the rim.
“Mr. Mejia was near the edge of the rim when he suffered an accidental fall,” the statement continued.
Unfortunately, fatal falls are not uncommon at the Grand Canyon — especially when it comes to risky activities like BASE jumping.