Man dies in Snake River Canyon jump after parachute opens too late

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – A 73-year-old man died in a parachute jump off a bridge over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho, according to a Twin Falls sheriff’s spokeswoman.

The man’s parachute deployed too late and he landed Thursday evening in the Snake River, spokeswoman Lori Stewart said. Several of his friends retrieved his body from the water and brought him to the dock at a nearby park. Medics pronounced him dead, the Twin Falls Times-News reported.

Stewart said the man was an experienced BASE jumper. He was not immediately identified pending notification of relatives.

BASE jumping is parachuting from a fixed structure or cliff. The Perrine Bridge over the canyon is popular with such jumpers. The bridge is about 500 feet above the river.