Base jumper who illegally leapt from top of Grand Canyon meets terrible fate

A thrill-seeking man who attempted to illegally parachute disconnected from nan South Rim of nan Grand Canyon has died. 

The daredevil attempted to BASE jump from Yavapai Point successful nan National Park astatine astir 7:30 americium connected August 1. 

But his effort was unsuccessful and his assemblage was recovered pinch nan deployed parachute astir 500 feet beneath nan South Rim by parkland rangers nan adjacent day. 

The unfortunate was taken to transported to nan rim by chopper and subsequently transferred to nan Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office. 

His personality has not yet been confirmed arsenic officials proceed to hold for a affirmative identification. 

BASE is an acronym that stands for 4 categories of fixed objects from which a personification tin jump: buildings, antennas (referring to power masts), spans (bridges) and world (cliffs). 

Adventurers participating successful this recreational yet highly vulnerable athletics jump from fixed objects and descend to nan crushed utilizing conscionable 1 parachute. A celebrated shape of jumping is wingsuit BASE jumping.

BASE jumping is prohibited successful each areas of Grand Canyon National Park.

The National Park Service and nan Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are conducting an investigation into nan incident. 

News of this tragic incident comes a time aft a 20-year-old assemblage student accidentally fell 400 feet to his decease aft hiking disconnected way astatine nan Grand Canyon.

Abel Joseph Mejia of Hickory, North Carolina, was recovered by National Park Service (NPS) workers 400 feet 'below nan rim' of nan Pipe Creek Overlook astir 10:30am connected Wednesday, NPS said successful a press release. 

'Mr. Mejia was adjacent nan separator of nan rim erstwhile he suffered an accidental fall,' NPS said. 

Grand Canyon National Park spokesperson Joelle Baird told AZ Family that Mejia was hiking off-trail, 'which is simply a beautiful communal spot occurrence for a batch of our visitors here.'

The National Park Service, which is presently investigating nan death, reminds parkgoers to 'always support a safe region of astatine slightest six feet from nan separator of nan rim and enactment down railings and fences astatine overlooks.' 

Turning Point Pentecostal Church said successful a Facebook station that Mejia was connected a 'missions trip' erstwhile nan fatal autumn occurred.

There person been 9 deaths successful nan Grand Canyon this twelvemonth owed to cardiac issues, earthy causes, termination and more, Baird said.

The past clip a fatal autumn occurred astatine nan Grand Canyon was successful 2022, she noted.

Grand Canyon National Park is considered 1 of nan astir vulnerable successful nan state and astir 17 group dice per year, according to NPS. 

More than 4 cardinal group sojourn each year.