An experienced BASE jumper was found dead near a peak in Utah last week after authorities say he failed to check in with a friend following a jump.
The friend told deputies and rescuers that the friend had not been in contact after going BASE jumping in a wingsuit near Willard Peak, a 9,763-foot mountain summit, the Box Elder County Sheriff’s Office said on Monday.
The friend gave deputies and rescuers crucial information about potential jump locations and flight routes, allowing rescue teams to deploy helicopters to those areas, the sheriff’s office said.
After a two-hour search, a Department of Public Safety helicopter spotted an individual about one mile northwest of Willard Peak in “extremely rugged terrain,” officials said.
The individual was confirmed dead at the scene, and a helicopter hoisted the body off the mountain.
The sheriff’s office identified the deceased BASE jumper as Jonathan Bizilia, a 27-year-old man from Alabama.
“We offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends during this challenging time,” officials said.
The Department of Public Safety Aero Bureau, Weber County Sheriff’s Office, and Weber County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue assisted in the search and rescue operation.
BASE jumping is considered a high-risk activity. The term “BASE” is an acronym that references four common types of jump locations: buildings, antennas, spans and earth.
