Yosemite BASE jumpers’ sentencing prompts ‘illegal activity’ reminder

The National Park Service on Friday announced the conviction of three people caught BASE jumping in Yosemite.

The convictions stem from incidents dating back to 2020, and were announced as a reminder against the activity — which appears to be on the rise in the national park in California amid the near month-long government shutdown.

“These convictions demonstrate the professionalism and dedication of Yosemite’s protection team in upholding federal regulations and ensuring the safety of both visitors and first responders,” Yosemite Superintendent Raymond McPadden said in a release.

Also: “We do not tolerate illegal activity in Yosemite National Park.”

What is BASE jumping?

BASE is an acronym for building, antenna, span and Earth.

BASE jumping is the sport derived from parachuting from one of those fixed objects. That includes bridges (the span part of BASE) and, in the case of Yosemite, cliffs (i.e, Earth).

The practice is prohibited in all national parks under federal law though “a small number of individuals continue to engage in illegal jumps each year, often placing themselves, rescuers and other visitors at serious risk,” according to the National Park Service.

Yosemite has historically been a popular spot for BASE jumping. It’s where two well-known rock climbers, Dean Potter and Graham Hunt, died while BASE jumping off the 7,500-foot Taft Point in 2015.

Several social media posts appear to show BASE jumpers operating in the park over the past few weeks.

In one, a jumper appears to parachute off the peak of El Capitan.

While it’s not clear how many federal employees remain on duty in Yosemite under the shutdown, a National Park Service contingency plan says those employees can perform duties such as emergency response and law enforcement.

McPadden seemed to echo that in Friday’s statement.

“Our law enforcement rangers remain efficient, effective and vigilant 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

BASE jumpers convicted in Yosemite National Park

Among the convictions announced by the park service were:

* Christopher I. Durell, who admitted to BASE jumping from the Porcelain Wall near North Dome in July of last year, according to the park service. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 18 months unsupervised probation, $600 in fines and 40 hours of community service. He was also forced to hand over his BASE jumping equipment, including a wingsuit.

* Joshua Losue, who was also identified as having jumped from a spot near North Dome in July of last year. Losue also pled guilty and, earlier this month, was sentenced to two days in jail, 24 months of unsupervised probation and $2,510 in fines. He is banned from entering Yosemite National Park during his probation.

* David Nunn, whose equipment malfunctioned while jumping from El Capitan in July 2020. According to the park service, Nunn collided with the cliff wall and had be rescued. In September, Nunn was sentenced to two days in jail, 12 months of unsupervised probation, $760 in fines and restitution of the $458.77 to cover the cost of his rescue. He is banned from entering Yosemite during probation and had to forfeit his parachute and harness, the park service said.

This was Nunn’s second conviction for BASE jumping. He pled guilty to similar charges in 1998.