Wingsuit failure kills 27-year-old BASE jumper in Utah's Leetham's Hollow

Key points

• A 27-year-old man died on Sunday after his wingsuit failed during a jump from a 700-foot height in Cache County, Utah.
• The incident occurred in Leetham's Hollow, a remote area east of Millville Canyon, which authorities described as having walls and cliffs similar to the Grand Canyon.
• Cache County Chief Deputy Doyle Peck stated the jumper was experienced and had participated in similar activities many times before.
• Search-and-rescue crews were alerted at 9:10 a.m. and used a Life Flight helicopter to recover the body, as ground access was impossible.
• The victim was part of a group of eight to ten people engaged in wingsuit-aided BASE jumping at the time of the accident.
• This death brings the global BASE fatality count for 2026 to 15, with 541 total deaths recorded since the registry began in 1981.

Background

This incident adds to a series of BASE jumping fatalities in Utah this year. In June, two other jumpers died in a separate accident in the state, one of whom was Andy Lewis, known for his 2012 Super Bowl performance. The sport, which involves jumping from fixed objects like buildings, antennas, spans, and earth, is considered extremely dangerous. A 2019 National Geographic report referred to wingsuit BASE jumping as the world's 'deadliest sport.' The term BASE was coined by photographer Carl Boenish in 1978 after early jumps from Yosemite National Park's El Capitan.

How outlets are covering it

All four sources agree on the core facts: the victim was a 27-year-old experienced jumper who died after a wingsuit failure in Cache County, Utah. The Guardian and NBC News emphasize the remote nature of Leetham's Hollow and the difficulty of the rescue, noting the terrain resembles the Grand Canyon. The Salt Lake Tribune provides specific details on the number of participants (eight to ten) and the time of the alert (9:10 a.m.). CBS News highlights the use of a Life Flight helicopter to recover the body and notes that the area is popular for this type of sport. There are no significant disagreements among the outlets, though NBC News and the Guardian provide more context on the broader history of BASE fatalities, while CBS and the Salt Lake Tribune focus more on the immediate incident and rescue efforts.

Why it matters

This incident underscores the extreme risks associated with BASE jumping, even for experienced participants. The failure of a wingsuit, a critical piece of equipment designed to provide lift and glide, can be fatal in the short distance available for such jumps. The remote location of the accident also highlights the challenges faced by search-and-rescue teams in accessing such sites. With 15 global fatalities already recorded in 2026, this incident adds to the ongoing concern about the safety of the sport and the importance of proper training and equipment maintenance.

What to watch

The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of his family. The Cache County Sheriff's Office has expressed its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the individual. There is no indication of an ongoing investigation into the cause of the wingsuit failure, but the incident will likely be reviewed by the BASE Fatality List and potentially by safety organizations focused on the sport. The group of eight to ten participants involved in the jump may be contacted by authorities for further information.