The injury of a Washington State man who had to be rescued by helicopter on the weekend has put the safety of the sport of BASE jumping from the Stawamus Chief in the spotlight for the second time in the past two years.
The 48-year-old suffered undisclosed injuries when he and his parachute landed in a treed area, possibly after being blown off course, after he jumped off the Chief on Saturday (May 12), RCMP Sgt. Wayne Pride said in a statement.
The situation, first reported to police at 11:20 a.m., prompted a response from Squamish Fire Rescue, B.C. Ambulance and Squamish Search and Rescue (SSAR), Pride said.
Possibly blown off course by winds, the victim struck trees on his descent and landed in a forested area, he said. SSAR officials oversaw a long-line helicopter rescue of the victim, who was taken to Squamish General Hospital to be treated for his injuries.
After two similar incidents involving people BASE (buildings, antennas, spans and earth) jumping from the Chief in 2010, then-mayor Greg Gardner called for the provincial government to enact a ban on BASE jumping from the granite monolith.
It is not safe to jump off the Stawamus Chief. It's a sheer granite cliff, but more importantly this is a windy area; the name Squamish is Coast Salish for 'mother of the wind,' Gardner told CTV News at the time.
