The BASE jumper who died after jumping off a 700-foot cliff in Utah has been identified as a 27-year-old Salt Lake City firefighter who was experienced in the extreme sport.
The Salt Lake City Fire Department confirmed that Gabe Reilly, who had been with the department for four years, died when his wingsuit failed after leaping from a ledge near Millville Canyon in Cache County Sunday morning.
“Gabe was known for his infectious smile, kind-heartedness, and his free-spirited nature. Gabe’s commitment to the department, his fellow firefighters, and the community will not be forgotten,” the department said in a heartfelt social media post.
Reilly had followed the career path of his father, who retired from SLCFD in 2024.
The seasoned jumper was with a group of eight to 10 others who took off from the perch around 9 a.m. when “something went wrong,” according to Cache County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Doyle Peck.
Reilly “did not have enough lift with his wingsuit,” Peck said, referring to the jumper’s flying-squirrel-like outfit.
“He impacted the ground at a high rate of speed resulting in his death.”
The fireman was “experienced in this type of activity,” Peck added
Millville Canyon, which features steep cliffs similar to those at the Grand Canyon, is located about 45 miles north of Ogden and is popular for BASE jumpers, officials said.
BASE jumping, which stands for buildings, antennas, spans and earth, is an extreme sport in which participants fling themselves off of high locations with a wingsuit or parachute.
The tragedy comes just months after two BASE jumpers were killed in Utah in June — including daredevil Andy Lewis, 39, who wowed football fans during Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl halftime performance.
Lewis and another 50-year-old man plummeted to the ground during a botched tandem jump in Mineral Bottom, a remote desert area near the Utah-Colorado border.
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