A thrill-seekers attempted an illegal base jump off the rim of the Grand Canyon and fell 500 feet to his death, according to the National Park Service.
The Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center responded to a report of a visitor jumping off Yavapai Point on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park around 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
Park rangers arrived on scene and found the man deceased about 500 feet below the side edge of the deployed parachute. Officials.
Rescue crews were able to extract the victim via helicopter Friday morning, and the man’s body was taken to the Coconino County Coroner’s Office for a cause of death determination.
The victim’s name will not be released until he has been positively identified.
The National Park Service said no additional information is available at this time.
This high-risk activity gets its name from the acronym “BASE,” which stands for four categories of fixed objects from which a person can jump: buildings, antennas, spans and the Earth.
Officials stressed that BASE jumping is strictly prohibited throughout Grand Canyon National Park.
A North Carolina man died Wednesday after falling 400 feet near a scenic area on the Grand Canyon’s South Rim.
The body of Abel Joseph Mejia, 20, of Hickory, was later discovered about a quarter-mile away from the observation deck, police said.
Park officials said Mejia was near the edge of the ledge when he accidentally fell.
An average of 11 people die at the Grand Canyon each year. National Park Service Mortality Data.
