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MOAB — Authorities in Grand County spent Saturday recovering the body of a BASE jumper in Mineral Canyon.
The 35-year-old man died Friday about 7 p.m. from injuries suffered after he jumped from an area known as "The Sweet Spot," about one mile east of the Mineral Bottom boat launch, according to Grand County Sheriff's Lt. Kim Neal.
The man's friends notified the sheriff's office about the accident as soon as they were able to get cellphone service Friday night. After the initial call, members of the Grand County Search and Rescue Team immediately headed to the area about 40 miles west of Moab. A helicopter from Classic Lifeguard was also called in.
Efforts to recover the man's body Friday night were called off due to the terrain and the risks posed to rescue teams, Neal said. The operation resumed Saturday and crews were able to recover the body after setting up several belays down "an extreme talus slope," the lieutenant said.
Saturday's recovery operation took about six hours to complete. The distance from the top of the cliff to the spot where the man's body was found was estimated at 400 feet, Neal said.
The man's name is being withheld, pending notification of family.
