Woman dies during attempted BASE jump in Rock Canyon

[accadacca]

PROVO -- A 24-year-old University of Utah student was killed Tuesday afternoon following a failed BASE jump from a cliff in Rock Canyon.

Medics received a call just after 4 p.m. from people who were concerned the woman was having trouble with her parachute.

Provo Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Jolley said the woman was attempting the jump on the north side of the canyon, in an area called Bad Banannas, but they're not sure if her equipment failed or if something else led to the fall.

"Where she jumped from, [there] was a pinnacle on the cliffs which was about 150 feet down to the sloping terrain that brings you down into the canyon," Jolley said.

Crews worked to resuscitate the woman on the mountainside in a northern portion of the canyon, but discontinued their efforts just after 5 p.m. A team of firefighters and members of the mountain rescue squad then went to recover the woman's body.

The woman was an experienced BASE jumper who had her own equipment, officials reported. She was in the area working on a class project with two other students and brought the jump equipment with her.

When the group finished their work, she decided she wanted to do one jump, Jolley said. A male student accompanied her to the top of the cliff and tried to run down to help once he realized there was a problem.

The cause of the accident is accident is currently under investigation.

"We just know that the chute didn't deploy and do what it normally would do," Jolley said.

The woman's name has not been released.

More information will be posted as it becomes available.

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Written by Paul Nelson and Emiley Morgan.
Article: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=1810...in-rock-canyon

[Sandstone Addiction]

I just happened to be walking down the canyon as the paramedics reached her. I had never really seen a rescue operation as it unfolded like that--my hat goes off to first responders and SAR for the job they do and how well they do it.

Very sad, my thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.