Illinois BASE jumper hospitalized after chute failure
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS September 3, 2013 9:14AM
Maps
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Officials say an Illinois man is in critical condition at an Idaho hospital after his main parachute failed to deploy during a jump into the Snake River Canyon.
Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Sgt. Dave Benefiel told The Times-News that Timothy Sumpter, 45, was BASE jumping off of the Perrine Bridge in southern Idaho on Saturday when his main chute didn’t open, and he plummeted into the Snake River.
The Waterloo, Ill., resident suffered injuries to his pelvis, back and shoulder, and he was airlifted to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, where he was listed in critical condition.
BASE jumping is a popular sport in southern Idaho, where participants jump off of the 486-foot high Perrine Bridge, using a parachute to break their fall.
