Additional Coverage:
A man has died after a failed attempt at an unauthorized BASE jump from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, according to Park officials on Friday.
Around 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center was alerted to a BASE jumping incident at Yavapai Point, as reported by the National Park Service. Responding rangers discovered the man’s body and his deployed parachute approximately 500 feet below the rim.
The deceased jumper’s body was retrieved on Friday morning and airlifted to the rim before being transferred to the Coconino County Medical Examiner’s Office for further investigation by both the Medical Examiner and the National Park Service.
The identity of the deceased has not been released as authorities are awaiting positive identification.
BASE jumping, which stands for jumping from Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and Earth (cliffs), is considered a high-risk sport and is strictly prohibited throughout the Grand Canyon National Park.
This incident occurred just a day after another tragic event where a 20-year-old man fell 400 feet to his death from a different scenic point at the park.