Story perspectives

Experienced BASE Jumper Dies After Wingsuit Failure in Utah

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 12:29 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

BASE Jumper Dies

The Cache County sheriff’s office reported a 27-year-old BASE jumper died in Utah after his wingsuit failed.
Deputy Doyle Peck said the jumper fell from a 700-foot perch in Leetham’s Hollow.
Search-and-rescue crews declared him dead at the scene at 9:10 a.m.
Two medical helicopters transported the body after the fatal impact.
The jumper was experienced and part of a group of up to ten participants.

Summary

Sheriff's Office Responds

Cache County Sheriff’s Office issued a news release detailing the fatal wingsuit accident.
Cache County Search and Rescue teams were among the first responders on the scene.
Cache County Fire units assisted in securing the crash area and supporting rescue crews.
A Department of Public Safety helicopter joined Life Flight in transporting the victim’s body.
The Sheriff’s Office thanked Life Flight, the DPS helicopter, Search and Rescue, and Fire personnel.

History

Historical Context

After French pioneer Patrick de Gayardon’s fatal 13 April 1998 wingsuit test in Hawaii—attributed to a rigging error and prompting the sport’s first major safety review—modern wingsuiting entered a commercial era (BirdMan suits, 1999) and formal competition (FAI World Cup, 2015). A recent Utah BASE jump death underscores ongoing calls for stricter regulation, echoing a 2013 study that recorded 39 wingsuit fatalities among 180 BASE deaths (1981-2011).

1 of 3

BASE Jumper Dies

The Cache County sheriff’s office reported a 27-year-old BASE jumper died in Utah after his wingsuit failed.
Deputy Doyle Peck said the jumper fell from a 700-foot perch in Leetham’s Hollow.
Search-and-rescue crews declared him dead at the scene at 9:10 a.m.
Two medical helicopters transported the body after the fatal impact.
The jumper was experienced and part of a group of up to ten participants.

1 / 3