A man who BASE jumped from a 23-story apartment building in California died Tuesday after his parachute didn’t deploy, police said.
The man, whose identity was not disclosed, jumped from the Palisade at Westfield at UTC, an apartment building in University City, California, the San Diego Police Department said according to CBS 8. In addition to the parachute, the man was also wearing a helmet, police said. They believed that the man jumped from either a high balcony or the roof of the apartment complex, CBS 8 reported.
WATCH:
Police responded to the incident after a witness heard a loud pop, stepped onto a nearby balcony, saw the man bleeding on the ground and then called 911, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Paramedics also responded to the scene and administered CPR, but they were unable to revive the victim before he could receive additional medical attention, the Union-Tribune said.
San Diego Police Department Capt. Scott Wahl said that the victim’s 16-year-old daughter witnessed her father’s death.
“It’s not just one life lost, it’s another that is completely devastated,” Wahl told the Union-Tribune. “Our heart goes out to her and the rest of his family,” he later added.
The man’s parachute didn’t deploy when he jumped, Sgt. Kevin Gibson said, according to the outlet. Police were unsure if the parachute failed due to insufficient height or another malfunction. (RELATED: REPORT: Man Plunges To Death After Parachute Fails To Open)
BASE jumping entails “parachuting from fixed objects,” according to The Associated Press. The acronym, BASE refers to buildings, antennae, spans and earth, the AP reported. BASE jumping is also illegal.