fly jeronimo
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Today's Report
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From Morning Report on: Friday, February 18, 2005
Pinnacles National Monument (CA)
BASE Jumping Incident
On the afternoon of Sunday, February 6th, three BASE jumps leapt sequentially from the middle tier of Balconies Cliffs, an ecologically sensitive area currently under visitor advisories for nesting prairie falcons, peregrine falcons and golden eagles. The park raptor monitor witnessed the jumps, as well as extreme disturbance to raptors in their nesting territories as a result of the sounds and motions of the deploying parachutes. The jumps were also seen by a ranger who was on the Balconies Cliffs trail almost directly underneath the BASE jumpers. The jumpers, later identified as Daren Loesch, 26, Ricardo Valbuena, 34, and Brendan Cork, 26, were immediately apprehended at the talus base of the Balconies Cliffs in an area closed to visitors due to revegetation efforts. All three were issued mandatory appearance citations for air delivery and were released after their equipment was seized as evidence. Numerous other charges are pending. Glenn Yanagi is the case ranger.
[Submitted by Glenn Yanagi, Park Ranger]
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From Morning Report on: Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Yosemite National Park (CA)
BASE Jumping Convictions
On November 16, 2004, the last of three BASE Jumpers arrested on July 15, 2003 was sentenced in magistrate’s court in Yosemite. Allan Fox, Kirby Hughes, and Brian Cork were all arrested by Yosemite Valley rangers after several witnesses reported seeing parachutists jump from Half Dome. All three were charged with CFR violations for air delivery and conspiracy. Fox, who is a Reno, Nevada, police officer, and Hughes pled guilty on October 5, 2004. Under the terms of a plea agreement, they were each sentenced to 12 months probation, fined $4,000, and given credit for two days custody served at the time of their arrests. Their attorneys negotiated for a higher fine in lieu of having to forfeit their parachutes and other gear. Cork pled guilty on November 16, 2004, and, also under the terms of a plea agreement, was sentenced to 12 months probation and fined $2,000. He was also given credit for two days in jail already served and was ordered to forfeit all his jumping equipment. Under the plea agreements the conspiracy charges were dismissed.
[Submitted by Dan Horner, Special Agent]
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From Morning Report on: Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Yosemite National Park (CA)
BASE Jumping Arrest
At dusk on Sunday, September 12th, Valley ranger Carly Lober was on foot patrol in El Capitan Meadow when she heard parachutes open above her. She saw Chad Peabody, 23, and Catherine Hansen, 19, of Bremerton and Gig Harbor, Washington, respectively, land at the east end of the meadow. They gathered up their chutes and ran into a grove of trees. Lober caught up to them as they were trying to finish packing their equipment into stash bags and arrested them. All their gear, including a helmet-cam video tape of the approach and jump, was seized as evidence. On September 14th, Peabody and Hansen appeared in federal magistrate’s court in the park and pled guilty to illegal jumping charges. They were sentenced to a year of unsupervised probation, fined $2,000 each, and forfeited all their jumping gear.[Submitted by Dan Horner, Special Agent]
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From Morning Report on: Monday, October 27, 2003
New River Gorge National River (WV)
Annual Bridge Day Event
An estimated 125,000 people attended the 24th annual New River Gorge Bridge Day, held on Saturday, October 18th. The event was coordinated under a unified command system that involved 13 agencies, including the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the National Park Service. This year's BASE jumping activities were organized by Jason Bell and Bill Bird of Vertical Visions, who did an excellent job of organizing the jumpers and establishing safety protocols. This year, the 346 registered BASE jumpers made 836 jumps from the New River Gorge Bridge during the event – believed to be the highest number ever recorded on Bridge Day. Jumping was suspended several time during the day for trains passing the landing zone, water rescues/pickups, and for one jumper who became stuck in a tree adjacent to the landing zone. The park's maintenance division tree crew removed the jumper from the tree with the aid of a bucket truck. Through most of the day, there was a BASE jumper going off the bridge approximately every 30 seconds. In addition, there were several multiple-person jumps, including one nine-way jump. All multiple-person jumps were coordinated with the NPS rangers and water rescue personal. There were only four BASE jumper injuries that required medical transport, with all of the injured being treated and released the same day. Under the bridge, 295 rappellers made 557 rappels off the catwalk and 107 people went down a highline traverse to the Fayette Station Road below. Overall, it was a very successful event.
[Submitted by Gary Hartley, Chief Ranger]
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From Morning Report on: Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Yosemite National Park (CA)
BASE Jumping Arrests
At dusk on July 15th, Valley rangers were dispatched to the Mirror Lake area in response to a report of BASE jumpers seen coming off Half Dome. About 30 minutes later, three men, each carrying full backpacks that were consistent with concealing BASE gear, were observed briskly walking down the Mirror Lake Loop trail. When rangers questioned them, they gave answers that did not make sense. Kirby W. Hughes, who was holding a head-sized, ball-shaped object tightly wrapped in a shirt, told rangers that it was just his sweatshirt. Further investigation revealed that it was a skydiving helmet with a digital camcorder attached. Hughes and his cohorts, Allan D. Fox and Brian K. Cork, were all arrested for conspiracy and air delivery. A search of their packs incident to arrest revealed another skydiving helmet and camcorder, three parachutes and harnesses, and two Birdman wingsuits (flight suits with cloth "wings" under the arms and between the legs used to greatly increase horizontal glide and freefall time).
[Submitted by Todd W. Bruno, Ranger, Valley District]
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From Morning Report on: Friday, December 06, 2002
02-622
Canyon De Chelly National Monument (AZ)
BASE Jumping
On the morning of November 28, a resident of the canyon called the park by cell phone and reported that ten people had been BASE jumping near the Antelope House ruin in the early hours of the morning. Rangers contacted four of the jumpers. Their parachute packs were seized as evidence, and citations were issued for mandatory appearances on charges of illegal air delivery and trespassing. The investigation continues. [Submitted by William Yazzie, Chief Ranger]
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From Morning Report on: Monday, October 28, 2002
02-567
New River Gorge National River (WV)
Special Event: Bridge Day
After being canceled in 2001 as a result of the September 11 attack, the annual Bridge Day event resumed this year, with an improved security plan approved by the governor that included closing all bridge lanes to vehicle traffic. Security for this year’s Bridge Day was managed under a unified command system, with the joint operations center hosted by the park at its Burnwood facility. Security was provide by a consortium of 16 agencies, including the West Virginia State Police, West Virginia National Guard, Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Marshals Service, and the National Park Service. Traditional BASE jumping activities continued this year under a special uses permit issued by the park following receipt of a waiver from Director Mainella permitting the activity within the park. This year’s BASE activities were organized by Go Fast Sports, Inc., and proved to be among the safest events held to date. A total of 394 BASE jumpers made 745 jumps from the New River Gorge Bridge, with landings in the park. Only two BASE jumpers sustained injuries requiring medical transport, one a sprained ankle and the other a laceration requiring stitches. Under the bridge, 308 rappellers made over 500 rappels. One rappeller lost control at the bottom of the 800 foot plus decent; as a result, he free fell approximately 50 feet and suffered a fractured lumbar and a ruptured bladder. He was flown to the Charleston Area Medical Center via a Health-Net medical helicopter that was on standby in the park. A highlight of the day was a visit by West Virginia’s Governor Bob Wise. The governor started the day by cutting the ribbon for first BASE jumper of the day, 73-year-old Jim Guyer. He then participated in a short whitewater rafting trip on the New River in an NPS raft guided by park ranger Bryan Hunter. The governor made additional stops at the park’s BASE landing zone and joint operations center.[Submitted by Gary Hartley, Chief Ranger]
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