Sedona Fire District Responds to BASE Jumper Incident on


By Sedona AZ (August 19, 2014) – At approximately 9:11 am, Saturday, August 16, 2014, Sedona Fire District (SFD) emergency crews were called to a reported hang glider crash near Village of Oak Creek. Once on scene SFD crews determined that this involved a BASE jumper. The injured individual was part of a group of three BASE jumpers. The third jumper sustained potential life-threatening injuries when he collided with the side of the rock face approximately halfway down.


SFD emergency crews from Fire Station #3, led by Fire Captain Mark Rippy accessed the patient providing initial medical treatment. Once secured, the patient was transported approximately 50 yards to a location to be flown out, using a short haul operation. In this case, Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue helicopter lifted the patient and the firefighter to a landing zone where the patient was flown by Guardian Air Ambulance, Angel 3, to Flagstaff Medical Center. These types of rescue calls are very staff and time consuming. The call was completed at 1:43 pm, approximately 4 and 1/2 hours after the initial call.

Sedona Fire District Fire Marshal Gary Johnson said “SFD crews train just for an eventuality like this. This is a great example of teamwork among three agencies working together to complete a very difficult rescue”.
This is the second BASE jumper incident in the last year SFD crews have responded to. Last November 2013, SFD crews reported to an injured BASE jumper in the same general area.