Second BASE Jumping Fatality at Zion National Park

Date: March 24, 2014
Contact: Aly Baltrus, 435-772-0160

Springdale, Utah- On Sunday, March 23, 2014, Zion National Park was alerted to an overdue BASE jumper in the vicinity of the West Temple at 6:42 am. The Grand Canyon National Park helicopter crew was called in to assist with the search. They located a body, believed to be the missing BASE jumper, just before 3:00 pm.

The body is located in difficult terrain and in an area where crosswinds limit the use of a helicopter. Search and Rescue crews will assess options for recovery today. The team hopes to be able to recover the body over the next few days.

BASE jumping is illegal within Zion National Park for resource protection and safety reasons. This is the second BASE jumping fatality in Zion in just over a month. The accident is currently under investigation. The name is not being released until the victim is properly identified.