MOAB, Utah — A BASE jumper was rescued Saturday after an intense crash with a cliff in Moab left him dangling 80 feet in the air.
Grand County Search and Rescue identified the man as a 35-year-old from Australia and said the crash resulted in critical injuries.
In a video captured by witnesses, the BASE jumper is seen gliding backwards for a moment before slamming into a cliff in Kane Creek Canyon.
Officials clarified that the man jumped from a 400-foot cliff near Abraxas Tower.
A gust of wind reportedly hit the jumper's parachute, causing him to collide with the cliff.
After crashing into the cliff, the jumper began falling out of control when his parachute snagged onto a ledge, which left him hanging 80 feet in the air, officials report.
A woman from Millcreek was climbing in the area when saw the crash and quickly climbed to try and help the man.
She was able to "climb to his location, secure him to a rope, remove his parachute rigging and rappel with him to the talus," Grand County officials report.
By that point, medical responders arrived at the scene and took over the response effort. The man was flown to a Grand Junction hospital to be treated for his injuries.
The crash was one of four BASE jumping incidents that happened last week in Moab, officials report. The crashes happened the same weekend as an annual BASE jumping event, called the Turkey Boogie, which was hosted to raise money for Grand County Search and Rescue as well as the city of Moab.
On Thursday morning, a 47-year-old jumper hit a wall and landed at the top of a short talus slope below the Kane Creek road near Cable Arch, officials report. A team hiked and others were flown into the area to get the man to safety and he was flown to Grand Junction for treatment. His condition was not made available.
On Friday morning, a 38-year-old man from North Carolina fell about 20 feet while ascending a fixed rope on the approach to a remote BASE exit point in the Fisher Towers area, officials report. The man was able to make it part of the way down the slope and responders helped him the rest of the way. He suffered an ankle injury.
Later that day, a 39-year-old man from Australia was hurt when he crashed into a wall after jumping from The Crown exit point in Kane Creek Canyon, officials report. He fell to the top of a steep and rugged slope and responders were able to hike to him in order to transport him to the hospital. His condition was not made available.
