Missouri man dies illegally BASE jumping at Grand Canyon National Park; parachute deployed
A Missouri man BASE jumping at the Grand Canyon National Park fell to his death, becoming the second person to die in as many days at the popular attraction.
Park rangers responded to reports of a visitor attempting a BASE jump from Yavapai Point, located on the South Rim of the canyon in Arizona, around 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 1, according to a National Park Service news release.
Rangers found 43-year-old Justin Guthrie of St. Anne, Missouri, and a deployed parachute about 500 feet below the rim when they arrived at the launch point. Guthrie's body was recovered using a helicopter and taken to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office, the park service said.
Guthrie's death was the 2nd in 24 hours
The day before Guthrie died, 20-year-old Abel Joseph Mejia fell 400 feet to his death after standing too close to the edge of the rim. Mejia’s death was the result of “an accidental fall,” according to a park service news release.
Both incidents are still under investigation, with NPS spokesperson Joelle Baird telling USA TODAY on Thursday that the agency had no additional details to share.
First BASE jumping fatality in a decade
The last reported death caused by BASE jumping at the park occurred in 2014, when a jumper was found dead near the Little Colorado River. Details surrounding the death were not immediately available.
NPS has no data on “successful BASE attempts in the park,” Baird said.
Watch:Widow scatters husband's ashes, BASE jumps into canyon
BASE jumping is ‘prohibited’ at Grand Canyon, NPS says
While there might be great temptation for thrill seekers to BASE jump from the Grand Canyon, the death-defying activity is prohibited in all areas of the park.
BASE, short for Building, Antenna, Span and Earth, jumping involves thrill-seekers who leap off of things like cliffs and buildings before opening their parachutes. It's incredibly dangerous because a successful jump depends largely on unpredictable winds.
The activity is considered illegal at Grand Canyon National Park, but other national parks allow visitors to apply for a special use permit to BASE jump, Baird said. Specific rules and regulations for BASE jumping vary by park.
In 2015, extreme athlete Dean Potter died while attempting a wingsuit flight above California's Yosemite National Park. He and his friend jumped from the 7,500-foot-high Taft Point. The activity is prohibited in Yosemite.