Bride Dies After Newlywed Couple Illegally BASE Jumps 2,000 Ft Off Mountain in Utah Park
A woman died on Saturday after falling close to 2,000 feet while attempting to BASE jump with her new husband, whom she had married less than half a month before the accident.
Amber Bellows, 28, and her husband Clayton Butler, scaled Mount Kinesava on Feb. 8. A plateau known for its hieroglyphics in Utah's Zion National Park, it is about 3,000 feet from top to bottom.
Butler followed Bellows after she jumped first on Saturday but was unable to find his wife of two weeks when he arrived at the bottom. He reported her disappearance at 6:30 p.m. local time, though rescue teams were unable to locate her body until 10 a.m. the following morning and ultimately had to retrieve it using a helicopter.
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While the couple were said to be experienced BASE jumpers, their activity was not sanctioned by the Zion National Park, which bans BASE jumping.
Jim Milestone, the acting superintendent of the park, said that accidents like this were the reason why BASE jumping was not permitted.
"It is just really sad, and our condolences go out to her family and friends. BASE jumping is so dangerous. Even for those that are experienced, like Amber Bellows. That is one of the reasons it is not allowed in the park," Milestone said in a statement.
BASE is an acronym which stands for Building, Antenna, Span and Earth, referring to the different types of objects from which jumpers usually chose to leap.
The newly married couple was actively involved in both the BASE jumping and skydiving communities in the area.
The park is currently investigating the incident. Bellows' death was the first fatality in Zion National Park in 2014 and park's first BASE jumper fatality ever.
