A 16-year-old invited to watch her father participate in a risky base jump from a San Diego high-rise instead witnessed the 48-year-old plummet to his death, local authorities said.
The man, who had intended to parachute from a 23-storey apartment complex in the University Section of San Diego, died late on Tuesday, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
His identity was not immediately released.
Police arrived on the scene after a person in the area called about hearing what was described as a loud pop. The newspaper reported that a witness to the tragic accident found the victim bleeding on the ground.
He was later pronounced dead at the scene by first responders.
“It’s not just one life lost, it’s another that is completely devastated,” Scott Wahl, the captain of the San Diego police department, told the newspaper.
“Our heart goes out to her and the rest of his family.”
In a separate interview provided to local news outlet KGTV, Capt Wahl informed reporters that it was still unclear to investigators whether the man’s parachute had malfunctioned “or if it just didn’t have enough time to open properly and deploy”.
“But ultimately this person ended up hitting the ground and dying there.”
Base jumping, an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth, is where a person parachutes or wing glides from one of these fixed objects. It is a highly dangerous activity that is outlawed in parts of the US.
In California, the state where the 48-year-old father was attempting his daring leap, there are laws that explicitly prohibit the recreational activity. But there are state and municipal laws that may make gaining access to some Base jump-off points (like apartment complexes, city structures and tall businesses) illegal. Rules like trespassing, breaking and entering or even reckless endangerment if a person decided to attempt one of these daring feats above a densely populated area.
Base jumping carries a significant risk to the jumper. In 2016, the thrill-seeking sport recorded its most deadly year, with 37 fatalities, according to the unofficial wiki that records Base fatalities dating back to 1981.
