BASE Jumping Accident Leads to Fatality at Grand Canyon National Park

An undisclosed BASE jumper lost his life while making an illegal jump at the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

A BASE Jumper Leaving the Cliff / Unsplash

On August 1, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a call at approximately 7:30 a.m. notifying them of an accident that had occurred roughly 500 feet below the rim of the canyon. 

The individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, had illegally BASE jumped from the Yavapai Point located on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. When rescuers arrived at the scene, they found the individual deceased, along with his deployed parachute next to him.

Following the incident, the National Park Service released a statement saying, “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 also stated, “The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are conducting an investigation into the incident.”

The individual’s name will not be publicly released until he is properly identified and his family has been notified.

Throughout the Grand Canyon National Park, BASE jumping is listed as being an illegal activity. The National Park Service has outlawed BASE jumping in many other locations, including Yosemite.

This tragic incident occurred just one day after Abel Joseph Mejia, a 20-year-old from Hickory, North Carolina, fell 400 feet to his death at the Grand Canyon.

BASE jumping, which stands for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth, is a notably high-risk sport. This sport revolves around jumping from a building, antenna, span (bridge), or earth (cliff) and descending to the ground. Becoming a BASE jumper involves extensive training, including substantial skydiving experience. While not required, it is heavily recommended to clock in at least 200 skydives before attempting to pursue this extreme sport. It is widely known in the adventure community that BASE jumping is far more risky than skydiving.

Due to the intensity and high-risk nature of the sport, very few people pursue BASE jumping.