A heart-stopping rescue unfolded in the striking red-rock canyons near Moab, Utah, when a BASE jumper found themselves precariously suspended hundreds of feet above the ground. The entire ordeal was captured on video, showcasing the nail-biting operation to bring the jumper to safety.
The drama began when the jumper, entangled in a colorful parachute, was pinned against a sheer cliff face. This unfortunate turn of events led to a high-stakes helicopter rescue mission, all caught on camera.
The incident occurred on a Wednesday afternoon in the rugged terrain of the Kane Creek area. The jumper, whose identity remains undisclosed, collided with the canyon wall and found themselves in a dire predicament.
Despite the fierce winds that whipped at their tangled parachute, the jumper managed to hold onto the rockface, avoiding a potentially disastrous fall. With no safe way to descend, the situation called for immediate action.
A large-scale emergency response was swiftly organized, involving multiple agencies working in coordination. A gripping 20-minute video shared online shows a first responder being carefully lowered from a helicopter, inching closer to the stranded BASE jumper to execute the rescue.
In a nearly 20-minute long video posted online, a first responder could be seen being lowered from a helicopter directly toward the stranded BASE jumper.
The downdraft from the chopper saw the parachute ripping violently against the cliff face.
In a heart-stopping moment, spectators watched from nearby trails as the rescuer, dangling from a helicopter winch fought the swirling winds and unstable terrain in order to reach the jumper.
A breathtaking helicopter rescue took place in the red-rock canyons outside Moab, Utah.
A BASE jumper was pinned to a sheer cliff face by a rainbow-colored parachute and was only saved following a perilous helicopter hoist operation that was all captured on dramatic video
The rainbow parachute is just a tiny speck of color on the red cliff face of Moab
Grand County Emergency Services said officers were first called at 1:08pm but the treacherous terrain meant rescuers could not physically reach the stranded jumper until 3:15pm.
Even then, it took another 45 heart-stopping minutes to secure them to be airlifted to safety.
‘By 3:15 a team member had reached the patient, provided advanced treatment for moderate injuries, and secured them so there was no risk of further fall,’ Grand County EMS confirmed in a press release.
At 4pm, the DPS Aero Bureau executed a flawless hoist, plucking the jumper off the cliff and carrying them to a landing zone, where they were transferred to an ambulance in stable, non-life-threatening condition.
‘The BASE jumper was successfully rescued,’ the Grand County Sheriff’s Department wrote in a Facebook update, adding that they received ‘advanced treatment for moderate injuries’ before being hoisted from the canyon wall.
Among the responding personnel were four BASE jumpers who also serve on the Search and Rescue team.
Moab BASE Access, a local nonprofit, praised the rescue in a statement.
The BASE jumper was pinned against the rock face by their parachute which became stuck
The rescuer, seen in blue on the left, was winched down by helicopter to save the BASE jumper
A first responder could be seen being winched back up to the helicopter together with the stranded BASE jumper after managing to rescue them from the cliff face
‘We are incredibly grateful to Grand County Search and Rescue for their heroic efforts – including the four BASE jumpers who serve as [Search and Rescue] team members and participated directly in this rescue.’
The group also noted the sport’s inherent dangers. ‘BASE jumping is all fun and games until you are smashed up on the talus and need rescue and surgery.’
But they emphasized that BASE jumping represents only a small portion of total incidents in the county.
‘Over the past three years, BASE related incidents have accounted for less than 5% of all SAR calls in Grand County.’
‘While the incident gained public attention because it was visible from town – these types of rescues are exactly what we train for and do on a pretty regular basis,’ Grand County EMS said in a statement.
Moab, home to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, attracts millions of visitors a year with world class biking, river rafting, 4X4 trails and rock climbing (file photo)
Rock climbers rappel down a cliff near Moab, Utah (file photo)
‘It’s a privilege to serve this community alongside such dedicated professionals, and to bring people home safely.
‘Thank you to everyone who contributed: your skill, coordination, and commitment make all the difference. We’re proud to stand with you,’ the statement concluded.
According to Moab BASE Access, BASE jumping on Bureau of Land Management land surrounding Moab is legal, a fact that draws jumpers from around the world to the region’s dizzying sandstone cliffs.
But the group also noted the inherent peril with BASE jumping being a high-risk activity that often leaves little room for error.
