Yosemite Base Jump Protest 10/22/99

On Friday, October 22, 1999 Jan Davis, 60, died while attempting a BASE jump from El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. Davis' jump was part of an organized act of civil disobedience protesting the NPS air delivery regulations (36 CFR 2.17(a)), which make BASE jumping illegal in national park areas without a permit. The demonstration organizer, Avery Badenhop, who is the NPS permittee for the 300-plus BASE jumpers at Bridge Day at New River Gorge NR, wrote a letter to the superintendent informing him of his intention to hold the demonstration. At a meeting with the chief ranger before the event, Badenhop was informed that the jump was illegal, that those who did it would be charged criminally, and their equipment would be seized. Badenhop would not identify the number of persons who intended to make the illegal jump, but hinted that it might be as many as 50. He also said that there likely would be a large crowd at the landing area in support of the illegal jumpers, and that he intended to attract as much media coverage as he could. With the potential for the demonstration overwhelming the park's resources, a Pacific West SET team (USPP) was called in for the incident. Davis was the fourth of five jumpers who showed up at the top of El Cap to jump. The first three made successful jumps and landed to the cheers of about 150 people, some of who were waving flags and banners in support of BASE jumping in national park areas, and were taken into custody. Davis then launched and free-fell for more than 15 seconds until she hit the talus slope at the base of the cliff. Her body was evacuated by long-line under the park's contract helicopter. Those who witnessed the fall saw no sign of her pilot chute ever being deployed to initiate the opening of her main parachute. Badenhop, who was to be the fifth jumper, opted not to continue and walked off the mountain. At least three TV camera crews and an Associated Press reporter covered the demonstration, and broadcast and print coverage has been intense. Park special agents are investigating the incident; decisions about prosecution will be made following consultation with the U.S. Attorney's Office.