A University of Utah student died Tuesday during a BASE jump in Rock Canyon.
Holly Brittsan, 24, from Idaho, was in the area working on a class project and decided to take the opportunity to BASE jump from Bad Bananas, a popular jump-off point on the north side of Rock Canyon.
Provo firefighters said Brittsan experienced complications with her parachute and fell 150 feet to her death.
A bystander who saw the fall called 911 around 4:20 p.m. Rescue workers arrived soon after and tried to resuscitate Brittsan but were unable to do so and ceased their efforts around 5 p.m.
In an interview with the Daily Herald, Provo Deputy Fire Chief Gary Jolley said the exact cause of the accident is still unknown.
“We don’t know if her chute failed to open, or if it opened too close to the ground,” Jolley said. “But she did make contact with ground before the chute opened.”
BASE jumping, is an activity where participants jump from structures or cliffs with only a pre-packed parachute to help them land. It is considered one of the world’s most dangerous recreational activities. An Oxford University study estimated overall fatalities in 2002 to be one fatality per 60 participants.
