A BASE jumper was killed Thursday morning after attempting an illegal jump from Yavapai Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, park officials reported. The incident marks the latest in a series of tragedies at the iconic national park.
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At approximately 7:30 a.m. on August 1, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center received a report of a visitor attempting a BASE jump. Park rangers responded swiftly, locating the body of a deceased male about 500 feet below the rim. A deployed parachute was found alongside the victim.
Recovery teams reached the site early Thursday morning. The body was airlifted to the rim by helicopter and transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office for identification and further investigation.
BASE jumping, an extreme sport involving parachuting from fixed objects, is strictly prohibited throughout Grand Canyon National Park due to its high-risk nature. The acronym BASE stands for the four categories of fixed objects from which jumpers leap: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges), and earth (cliffs).
This incident follows another recent fatality at the park. Just a day earlier, a 20-year-old visitor from North Carolina died in what officials believe was an accidental fall near the Pipe Creek Overlook.
Park officials emphasize the importance of visitor safety, urging guests to stay on designated trails and maintain a safe distance from the rim’s edge.
The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are conducting a joint investigation into the BASE jumping incident. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin.
Joelle Baird, a Grand Canyon National Park public affairs officer, noted that the park sees about 10-15 deaths per year on average.
