Chris McNamara, 30, of SUPERTOPO - BUSTED for BASE Jump

azdailysun.com/articles/200…

Pair sentenced for jump at Grand Canyon

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Two California men were federally sentenced to pay fines and satisfy other requirements in connection with a parachute jumping incident at Grand Canyon National Park.

According to information from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Phoenix, Christopher C. McNamara, 30, of Marin County, Calif., pleaded guilty to illegally jumping in the Canyon while on a November 2007 river trip. The practice is known as BASE jumping, which stands for jumping from fixed objects such as buildings, antennas, spans or earth with a parachute.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark E. Aspey ordered McNamara to pay a $5,000 fine to be dedicated to protection resource monitoring in the Canyon. McNamara must also serve one year of probation and may only enter Yosemite National Park because of the civic work he does there.

Jonathon Rich, 33, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., pleaded guilty to violating the terms and conditions of his commercial filming river permit because he failed to report McNamara's BASE jump.

He must pay $1,000 in fines to be used for the Canyon's resource protection program. If he uses his work to promote Leave No Trace education and denounce illegal BASE jumping, the charge against him will be dropped.

Rich and McNamara had been on a river rafting trip to film a documentary about river rafting and rock climbing. Rich did not film the BASE jump.

In a prepared statement, Park Superintendent Steve Martin said, "BASE jumping is inherently dangerous; but that's only part of why it's prohibited in the park. BASE jumping here, where the terrain is so intensely rugged and the nearest help can be hours away, increases the inherent risks exponentially, and it puts park rescue personnel resources at risk."

just out of curiosity...Why is base jumping illegal but free solo climbing is not?

perception

Wade Frank wrote:just out of curiosity...Why is base jumping illegal but free solo climbing is not?

Because free soloing is obviously not inherently risky.

Wade Frank wrote:just out of curiosity...Why is base jumping illegal but free solo climbing is not?

Ignorance. . .

F the NPS right in the A !!!
Pisses me right off.

Hi Jackie!

Jackie Blumberg wrote:Neither is being overweight and hiking into the Grand with inadequate water or navigation tools. That doesn't tax the Park rescue folks at all.

Agreed!!! If you get fined for base jumping because of the "potential" of the need for rescue, that starts to put everyone who participates in potentially dangerous sports at risk for fines.

That fucking sucks! Yeah right I'd rather pay for the 90% of our tax dollars going to pay for rescuing jackass tourists who get lost hiking! Having lived in Yosemite and seen how many millions of dollars are spent there every year looking for some lost hiker who strolls in to the woods with nothing more than a poncho and a park map.

Stupid stupid stupid park service. If something goes wrong BASE jumping it don't cost much to recover a body.

Much more dangerous to try and ride your bike on a park road. All those idiots statistically "increases the inherent risks exponentially" for people trying to enjoy our NPs! NPS wouldn't care about that! Just those damn rock climbers, BASE jumpers, and skiers.

I think that the park services brings up some interesting points. I can't imagine that Landing with a parachute does not damage that landing area. Also I am curious If any one know where they where jumping at and how the park services found out?

I wonder if someone did crash land in Grand Canyon Nat'l Park if they would be subject to the same fines - I could be wrong, but I believe the actual act of B.A.S.E. is not illegal; however, any "aerial delivery" into a Nat'l park is.

Of course some overweight family from Nebraska carry one bottle of water between the 10 of them isn't inherently dangerous enough either...

SirVato wrote:F the NPS right in the A !!! Pisses me right off. Hi Jackie!

Jackie says hey baby!

For 6 grand they could have travelled anywhere in the world to jump.

Dang, that's a helluva fine for a BASE jump. Remember that at one point, rock climbing wasn't allowed in many parks (think Rocky's climbing ban on Long's Peak, the mandatory rescue teams in place for the 1st ascent of the Nose, etc.). Eventually, the NPS came around, realizing that climbing is just as legitimate an activity as hiking, skiing, etc. Give it some time, and maybe the reg.'s will change.

As to the comments on who is more dangerous to NPS personnel, overweight, inexperienced, underprepared hikers, or BASE jumpers...well, yeah, a ton, nay, most rescues involve the former. But a dehydrated hiker is a lot easier to deal with than a body recovery deep in the backcountry.

Last, the way to deal with this is not by taking more clandestine jumps. Lobby the NPS, organize as a community, and maybe, just maybe, do something for the lands in which you are jumping. It's the least you can do if you want to be seen as a legitimate recreational group.

Jump safe.

These BONE HEADS filmed their illegal jump and then put it a film.

Releasing it via REAL ROCK TOUR isn't on the DL.

That is one way to jeopardize access issues.

$5000, 1 year probation, BANNED from all but one NATIONAL PARKS.

No more Zion, J TREE, Grand Canyon for awhile.

Was it really in the film?! Holy hell! Alright, that's pretty dumb, and blatantly disregards the reg.'s that they think they don't need to follow. Still a bummer, but they have nobody to blame but themselves.

A venturesome minority will always be able to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for Godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches―that is the right and privilege of any free American.

-Edward Abbey

and let them jump off cliffs too

Ha... Having worked for the NPS before and with recent massive budget cuts, I find it hard to believe they would ever be able to enforce such a silly ban. Are they going to put a picture of these guys at every entrance gate??? Those are huge and unfair fines. I bet if the issue was pushed in court the fines would be lowered.

Did Will Gadd get in any sort of trouble for paragliding across the grand canyon a few years back?

The following directly copied from the NPS website. The NPS mission.

"The National park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world."

"Citizen Involvement: Providing opportunities for citizens to participate in the decisions and actions of the National Park Service"

Seems with the massive fines they've strayed from the above mission.

It's a bummer that people feel the need to film stuff like this and make it public (if it's true that they filmed and released it). Why not just do it for the sake of doing it and keep it a secret?

Wade Frank wrote: Agreed!!! If you get fined for base jumping because of the "potential" of the need for rescue, that starts to put everyone who participates in potentially dangerous sports at risk for fines.

I wouldn't worry, the NPS has a steadfast policy against charging for rescue or for the "potential of rescue". The asshat misspoke. Anything can be potentially dangerous.

"a $5,000 fine to be dedicated to protection resource monitoring in the Canyon"

okay -- what??

You get a 1-2 second glimpse of one of the jumps when you view the trailer here (about 3/4 of the way through):

reelrocktour.com/2008_site/…

how much do they fine tourists for littering?

Tyson Anderson wrote:A venturesome minority will always be able to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for Godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches―that is the right and privilege of any free American. -Edward Abbey and let them jump off cliffs too

Amen.

I don't think I've ever heard of an injured climber bitching about how S&R should be located closer to their site of injury. Part of the reason many people climb, hike, etc. is to get away from the crowds, which apparently means we're "[increasing] the inherent risks exponentially." Is it too much to ask that people be allowed to take risks and accept the responsibility/consequences that come(s) with them?