Fire crews rescued an injured BASE jumper from Clear Creek Canyon on Sunday after he was thrown into a cliffside during his descent.
Around 6:09 p.m. Sunday, fire crews from Foothills Fire & Rescue and the Golden Fire Department responded to a call from the injured man inside the canyon, according to Golden’s Deputy Chief of Operations Sean Jones.
BASE jumping is similar to skydiving and involves people jumping from high buildings, bridges and cliffs with parachutes. While skydivers take off between 9,000 and 14,000 feet, BASE jumpers usually start less than 500 feet from the ground.
Jones said the man told fire officials that he had jumped from a cliff in the canyon but it’s not clear where he was aiming to land.
The man said he had difficulties during the descent, presumably with wind, and was thrown into the cliffside and injured, Jones said.
“Luckily he had cell service and was able to call for help,” Jones said. “That’s not common in that area.”
Golden fire crews led the technical rescue and climbed up to where the man was stranded, about 60 to 80 feet up the canyon wall that borders U.S. 6 near Golden and across the creek from the highway. Arvada Fire, Stadium Medical and Colorado State Patrol also responded to assist with the rescue.
Rescue crews scaled the wall, loaded the man into a basket and used a rope system to get him across the creek to medical personnel, according to Arvada Fire.
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Jones said the rescue took roughly two and a half hours. He said the man was getting medical care on the highway by 8:30 p.m. and on his way to the hospital by 9:30 p.m.
The man’s injuries were not life-threatening, Jones said.
The Golden Fire Department, which handles all calls in the canyon corridor, strongly discourages BASE jumping and similar activities, Jones said.
Jones said the canyon’s terrain isn’t suitable and the area can be dangerous due to its spotty cell service. If you’re going to go, he said, don’t go alone and make sure your phone is charged.
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