Foto: Grand County Sheriff's Office
A 43-year-old BASE jumper was rescued after crashing into a cliff wall and dangling from his parachute in the Kane Creek area of Moab, Utah, on Wednesday (November 12). The incident occurred around 1 p.m., and the jumper was left hanging hundreds of feet in the air, his parachute caught on a rock above him.
First responders, including Grand County EMS, Grand County Search and Rescue, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, Classic Air Medical, and the DPS Aero Bureau, reached the man by 3:15 p.m. They treated him for moderate injuries and secured him to prevent further falls. He was safely lifted from the cliff at 4 p.m.
The accident was caused by an "off-heading opening" of the jumper's parachute, which rotated him 180 to 360 degrees, directing him back toward the cliff face. Andy Smith, executive director of Grand County EMS, told NBC News that the margin for error in BASE jumping is extremely small due to the proximity to the cliff during parachute deployment. "When a jumper is rotated toward the cliff with insufficient space to recover, it often results in a direct impact," Smith said.
Scott Solle, vice commander of the Grand County Search and Rescue Team, noted that the jumper was fortunate to have been caught on the rock, preventing a potentially fatal fall. "I think he got lucky," Solle explained.
The man, whose name has not been released, is now in stable, non-life-threatening condition, according to officials.