Miscalculated take-off results in BASE jumper's rescue

UPDATE:

When most BASE jumpers come to Twin Falls they jump from the Perrine Bridge. Tuesday night a stunt jumper ascended from the canyon’s edge and found himself in a bit of trouble.

The jumper miscalculated his takeoff and the result left him hanging by his parachute from the rocky edge.

Regardless of experience some jumps aren’t worth the risk. Miles Daisher, a professional Red Bull BASE jumper and Twin Falls native, declined to jump from the same spot two years prior due to the dangers of not only the rocks but powerlines in the area.

“If you have a 180 degree off headed opening that wall is coming at you fast, and if you’re not like lightening on your toggles, you’re going to hit the wall, like what happened yesterday,” Daisher said.

Luckily for the stunt jumper, the Magic Valley Paramedics, Search and Rescue and Twin Falls Fire Department are trained and prepared for these rescues. Though rare, they're always high risk.

Chad Smith is the director of special operations of Magic Valley Paramedics and was the one who descended into the cliff to rescue the jumper. Smith and his team train year-round for these rescues even though they perform one to 50 a year.

"Obviously, it's pretty dangerous. We don't have the known obstacles as we do with the bridge, where everyone thinks the common area is. So safety is a huge factor. We try to make sure we get a good look from the top and the bottom before we do go perform those rescues so we can be as safe as possible,” Smith said.

The jumper refused medical treatment even though there were injuries to his leg. However, the irony was that this was not the first time he had to be rescued from the canyon.

“This is the second time we’ve rescued this BASE jumper. We picked him up by the Perrine Bridge last year. He wasn’t BASE jumping then but was out hiking and had a fall,” Smith said.

The rocks and terrain in the area are unstable. Smith wants to express to visitors that safety should always be their number one priority.

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Around 8:30 Tuesday night, a call came in to emergency responders of a BASE jumper stuck on the canyon wall just below Elevation 486 restaurant.

Crews with the Twin Falls Fire Department, Magic Valley Special Operations Reach and Treat (SORT) and Twin Falls County Search and Rescue performed a rope rescue, pulling the man off the wall just after 10 p.m.

Authorities drove him out to Clear Springs grade, but they told a reporter on scene that he refused medical attention and to go to the hospital.

Magic Valley Paramedics were also on scene.

Witnesses said one other man made the jump and landed safely on the canyon floor.

KMVT will update this story as more information becomes available.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story mistakenly stated the Magic Valley Paramedics performed the rope rescue. Magic Valley SORT is part of the

that assisted with the rescue.