BASE Jumper, 27, Dies After Wingsuit Fails During Leap in Utah
Authorities report that the experienced jumper fell to his death after his wingsuit failed to provide sufficient lift.
A 27-year-old BASE jumper died Sunday in Millville Canyon, Utah, when his wingsuit malfunctioned during a leap from a 700-foot cliff. The Cache County Sheriff’s Office reported that the jumper, who was part of a group of 10, experienced a failure with his wingsuit, preventing it from generating enough lift.
“On today’s jump, something went wrong, and he did not have enough lift with his wingsuit,” Deputy Doyle Peck stated. “He impacted the ground at a high rate of speed resulting in his death.”
The victim, whose identity is being withheld pending family notification, was described as an experienced participant in the sport. Emergency services, including two medical helicopters, responded to the scene, but the man was pronounced dead.
Millville Canyon is a popular location for BASE jumping due to its steep cliffs. BASE jumping, an extreme sport involving participants leaping from high structures or natural formations with a parachute or wingsuit, has a documented history of fatalities. According to the BASE Fatality List, there have been 541 reported BASE-jumping deaths worldwide since 1981. Prior to Sunday's incident, 15 such deaths had been recorded globally in the current year.
This incident follows two other BASE jumping fatalities in Utah in June, including that of daredevil Andy Lewis, 39, who had previously performed during Madonna's 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. Lewis and another jumper died during a tandem jump in a remote area near the Utah-Colorado border.