BASE jumper dies after 700-foot launch in Utah mountains
Officials identified the jumper as Gabe Reilly, a 27-year-old firefighter who served with the Salt Lake City Fire Department for four years.
This base jumper walks out on a wind turbine blade and jumps!
A 27-year-old BASE jumper died in Cache County, Utah, on Sunday after his wingsuit failed during a plunge, according to reports.
Search and rescue teams were called to Leetham's Hollow on Sept. 27 at 9:10 a.m. MDT after the jumper launched from a 700-foot perch in a mountainous area of Hyrum, NBC News reported. The man, later identified as Gabe Reilly, was declared dead at the scene. A medical transport helicopter sent to assist with search efforts transported Reilly's body.
Per NBC News, Cache County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Doyle Peck said "something went wrong" and Reilly did not have enough lift in his wingsuit. Reilly, who was an experienced BASE jumper, impacted the ground at a high speed, resulting in his death. He was with a group of about 10 people reportedly participating in wingsuit-aided BASE jumping.
Peck added that the area, east of Millville Canyon and the city of Millville, is a popular spot for BASE jumpers.
File photo: BASE jumpers prepare to jump from the Mothership Space Net suspended from the cliffs 950 vertical feet above the valley floor at Mineral Canyon. Another jumper rides the zipline from the cliff to get on the Space Net for his BASE jump. (Photo by: Jon G Fuller/Eye Ubiquitous/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The Salt Lake City Fire Department confirmed Reilly's identity as the BASE jumper in a statement on Monday. Reilly served as a firefighter for the department for the past four years, following in the footsteps of his father, who retired from the station in 2024.
"Gabe was known for his infectious smile, kind heartedness and his free-spirited nature," the fire department said. "Gabe’s commitment to the department, his fellow firefighters and the community will not be forgotten."
The department also asked people to respect the family's privacy as they grieve the loss.
Since 1981 there have been 548 BASE jumping incidents around the world, according to the BASE Fatality List. So far this year, 15 deaths have been reported globally.
In June, two people also died from a BASE jumping incident in Mineral Bottom, Utah, according to the Grand County Sheriff's Office. Both individuals, a 50-year-old male and a man identified as Andrew Lewis, died from their injuries.
File photo: Scenic view of miscellaneous action during BASE jump from El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, Calif. (Photo by Mickey Pfleger/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
The term "BASE" stands for Buildings, Antennas, Spans and Earth, according to the International Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame. The organization credits Carl Boenish, a freefall photographer who videotaped the first systematic jumps from Yosemite's El Capitan, as the "father of modern BASE jumping."
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