BASE jumper breaks leg after drop from Central Oregon bridge

BEND, Ore. – A man participating in the extreme sport of BASE jumping suffered a broken leg in a mishap at the Crooked River Gorge in Central Oregon.

Redmond Fire Marshal Traci Cooper told KTVZ that crews responded at 5 a.m. Monday to a footbridge, known as the High Bridge, that’s 300 feet (91 metres) above the Crooked River.

Rescuers rappelled down to the canyon bottom to reach the injured jumper and raise him up to a waiting ambulance.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as 26-year-old Isaac Nutria, and said he’s an experienced BASE jumper originally from New Zealand.

Sheriff Jim Adkins said Nutria was cited for BASE jumping without permission, which carries a $110 fine.

The notoriously dangerous activity is like skydiving, except the jump with a parachute occurs from a building, bridge or cliff — not a plane. BASE is an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span and Earth, the categories of fixed objects from which one can jump.

Undersheriff Marc Heckathorn said the man leaped from the High Bridge with a parachute and broke his leg when he landed. He then told a friend to call 911.

“Base jumping off the High Bridge is illegal and dangerous,” Heckathorn said.

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Information from: KTVZ-TV, http://www.ktvz.com/