Man dies after attempting to BASE jump in the Grand Canyon
by Carter Williams, KSL.com · KSL.comEstimated read time: 2-3 minutes
GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — A man died after an apparent BASE jumping crash along the South Rim of the Grand Canyon on Thursday, a day after another man died in a fall along the edge of the canyon.
About 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Grand Canyon National Park rangers responded to a report that a man had attempted to BASE jump from Yavapai Point on the South Rim of the canyon. It wasn't immediately clear what happened, but rangers arriving on scene determined the man was dead about 500 feet below the popular lookout point.
A recovery team wasn't able to reach the man's body until Friday morning. A helicopter was used to hoist the body out of the canyon before his body was transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner's Office in Flagstaff, Arizona.
A deployed parachute was also recovered from the scene.
The man's name was not immediately released, pending positive identification, park rangers said on Friday. They declined to provide any other information about the incident on Friday, as it remains under investigation.
BASE jumping is an extreme sport where people parachute from fixed objects, like buildings or cliffs. The name is an acronym for building, antenna, span and earth. Grand Canyon park rangers call it a "high-risk activity" that's "illegal in all areas" of the park.
Thursday's incident happened a day after a 20-year-old North Carolina man died from a fall along the edge of the South Rim near Pipe Creek Overlook, about 2.5 miles southeast of Yavapai Point. His death is being investigated as an accidental death.
The fall prompted a reminder for visitors to remain on designated trails and walkways and stay at least 6 feet from the edge of the canyon rim. Park rangers added that visitors should also remain behind any railings and fences at overlooks like Pipe Creek.
Grand Canyon remains one of the nation's more popular national parks. It attracted 4.7 million visitors in 2023, making it the second-most visited national park in 2023 and first among parks in the West.
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Carter Williams
Carter Williams is a reporter who covers general news, local government, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com.