A man from California is now facing federal charges after allegedly leaping off a cliff at Yosemite National Park. The thrill-seeking endeavor resulted in legal repercussions for the individual involved.
Identified as Jack Matthew Propeck from Mission Viejo, the man was apprehended following his daring jump from Glacier Point, using a parachute to ensure a safe descent. This action, however, did not go unnoticed by authorities.
The investigation into Propeck’s activities commenced after he shared a video of the jump on his Instagram account. This prompted a complaint to be filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California, highlighting the breach of regulations.
The footage, dated October 8, vividly shows Propeck sprinting towards the cliff’s edge and plunging into the open air above Yosemite. Prior to deploying his parachute, he made sure to reveal his identity on camera, further cementing the evidence against him.
Propeck now faces charges for using parachutes, helicopters, or other airborne means to deliver or retrieve a person or object, a violation of park regulations.
His since-deleted video was captioned ‘track like you mean it’ and included comments questioning the legality of his daring jump – an activity known as base jumping.
Despite the charges, Propeck reportedly claimed, “I have a permit.” However, it is known that Yosemite National Park does not issue permits for base jumping, making his assertion legally questionable.
When contacted about the video, Propeck stated that ‘it was not him’ and that he had used artificial intelligence to edit his face onto the clip.
Jack Matthew Propeck was charged with delivering or retrieving a person or object by parachute, helicopter or other airborne means after jumping off a Yosemite cliff last October
There was no evidence to suggest that Propeck used AI to create the video of him jumping off the cliff, according to the complaint.
He insisted that he ‘just posts cool videos to his page’ and questioned why authorities were ‘wasting [their] time’ on the footage in question.
Propeck also said that there was ‘currently a court case to make base jumping legal in Yosemite.’
The complaint added that the clip of Propeck in Yosemite was ‘consistent with other video’ he had previously posted.
The video of him at Glacier Point was also posted on Facebook to a profile with the same name, the legal filing alleged.
Authorities started looking into Propeck’s conduct after receiving a tip on October 10 concerning Propeck’s video.
A law enforcement officer employed by the National Park Service reported recognizing the dive point as Glacier Point ‘based on my numerous visits and patrols of the area.’
Video of his daredevil jump at the national park was captioned ‘track like you mean it.’ Propeck claimed in the comment section that he had a permit, according to the complaint
He specified that Propeck ran off a rock located between the railings of the viewpoint, with the shots showing North Dome and Washington Column.
The video appeared to have been shot in the early morning, just after the sun came up.
‘Sunrise and sunset is a common time for BASE jumpers to jump because, less people are around, jumpers are more difficult to see and harder to catch,’ the complaint said.
A license plate reader detected Propeck’s silver Smart car entering Yosemite’s Big Oak Flat entrance on October 7 around 12.26pm, per the complaint.
He left approximately one day later, with images from the license plate reader system showing that Propeck was driving the vehicle.
He was wearing the ‘same purple mirrored sunglasses’ as the person in the Instagram video, per the complaint.
Propeck is scheduled to appear in court on April 7.
He was previously set to be arraigned on February 3 but requested a continuance over being ‘out of the states’ until the end of next month.
Propeck claimed that he ‘just posts cool videos’ on his Instagram profile and alleged that he used AI to create the video of him base jumping at Yosemite
Three base jumpers were convicted by a federal court last October after also parachuting at Yosemite
Propeck is representing himself in the legal case, per court documents.
Park officials said that illegal activity at Yosemite would be investigated and prosecuted.
‘Engaging in such illegal activities endangers both visitors and National Park Service first responders,’ spokesperson Scott Carr told the Los Angeles Times.
He added: ‘Yosemite’s grandeur is a treasure that everyone should experience responsibly.’
Last October, three base jumpers were convicted by a federal court after parachuting at Yosemite.
Their sentences included two days in jail, probation within the park, and fines ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
The park is considered a special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US, as defined by federal law.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Propeck and the National Park Service for comment.
