A thrill-seeking man who attempted to illegally skydive from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim has died.
The daredevil attempted a BASE jump from Yavapai Point in the National Park around 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 1.
But his effort was unsuccessful and his body was found with the parachute deployed about 500 feet below the South Rim by rangers the next day.
The victim was flown to the shore by helicopter and later transported to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office.
His identity has not yet been confirmed as authorities continue to await a positive identification.
A thrill-seeking man who attempted to illegally BASE jump from Yavapai Point in Grand Canyon National Park was found dead yesterday.
BASE is an acronym that represents four categories of fixed objects from which a person can jump: buildings, antennas (referring to radio antennas), spans (bridges), and land (cliffs).
Adventurers who participate in this recreational, but extremely dangerous, sport jump from fixed objects and descend to the ground using a single parachute. A popular form of jumping is wingsuit BASE jumping.
BASE jumping is prohibited in all areas of Grand Canyon National Park.
The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are conducting an investigation into the incident.
His body was found with the parachute deployed about 500 feet below the South Rim by park rangers.
The National Park Service and the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office are conducting an investigation into the incident.
News of this tragic incident comes a day after a 20-year-old college student accidentally fell 400 feet to his death after hiking off-trail in the Grand Canyon.
Abel Joseph Mejia, of Hickory, North Carolina, was found by National Park Service (NPS) workers 400 feet “below the edge” of the Pipe Creek overlook around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, the NPS said in a statement. Press release.
“Mr. Mejia was near the edge of the hoop when he suffered an accidental fall,” NPS said.
Grand Canyon National Park spokeswoman Joelle Baird said AZ Family that Mejia was walking off the trail, “which is a pretty common occurrence for a lot of our visitors here.”
Abel Joseph Mejia, of Hickory, North Carolina, was found by National Park Service (NPS) workers 400 feet “below the edge” of the Pipe Creek Overlook around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
There have been nine deaths at the Grand Canyon this year due to heart problems, natural causes, suicide and more.
The National Park Service, which is currently investigating the death, reminds park visitors to “always maintain a safe distance of at least six feet from the edge of the rim and stay behind railings and fences at viewing areas.”
Turning Point Pentecostal Church said in a Facebook post that Mejia was on a ‘mission trip’ when the fatal fall occurred.
There have been nine deaths at the Grand Canyon this year due to heart problems, natural causes, suicide and more, Baird said.
The last time a fatal fall occurred at the Grand Canyon was in 2022, he noted.
Grand Canyon National Park is considered one of the most dangerous in the country, with about 17 people dying there each year, according to the NPS.
More than 4 million people visit it every year.
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