A stranded base jumper is now safely back on the ground more than four hours after being blown off course while attempting to jump off the Stawamus Chief's middle peak this afternoon.
At approximately 2 p.m., Squamish Search and Rescue received a call for help after the base jumper took a dive only to get caught up in heavy winds and blown onto the rockface approximately 300 feet below.
"The parachute snagged the rock, slid down a bit and got to a place where he actually stopped on a slope in the rock," said SAR co-ordinator Jim Lang.
He then scrambled back under an overhanging and waited for rescue. Approximately 25 people from SAR and Lions Bay Search and Rescue attended, 10 of whom boarded a helicopter headed for the top of the second peak.
The team set up anchors and SAR rescuer and highly experienced climber John Howe and another rescuer were lowered to the as-yet unidentified man, who was discovered with a possible broken ankle, but otherwise unharmed. That meant a stretcher would not have to be used, cutting back significantly on rescue time and logistics, said Lang.
The base jumper was tethered to Howe and a team pulled both men up. The pair topped out at approximately 6:45 p.m.
During the rescue, about 50 people who happened to be hiking or climbing that afternoon were standing along the edge trying to catch a glimpse of the action, said Lang.
"One of things we had to manage was getting someone up there soon enough in order to take control of the mountain people," said Lang.
Lang said he was very pleased at how smoothly it went, especially considering the windy conditions. He said the rescue was also made easier because the group appeared to have been prepared for possible problems, and were carrying proper equipment.
"We got the call electronically, so people are taking equipment with them so if there's a failure we hear about it right away," said Lang. "Only a few years back, that person's partner may have had to come all the way down to tell us about it."
RCMP Cpl. Dave Ritchie said base jumping off cliffs has yet to be regulated, so the jumper was within his rights. However, he added, legislation is being considered in Victoria that would impose some structure, possibly licensing, on the activity.
In base jumping, extreme sports enthusiasts use parachutes to jump from fixed objects. "Base" is actually an acronym for the four main categories of objects that can be used as a platform: building, antenna, span and earth.
