Parachute failure kills man who jumped off high-rise tower, California police say

A man who jumped off a high-rise apartment tower in San Diego died when his parachute apparently failed to deploy, California police told news sources.

A 911 caller reported hearing a “loud pop” like a gunshot at the 23-story Palisade UTC tower at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The caller went to a balcony and saw someone bleeding on the street below.

Officers found a man wearing a helmet and a backpack containing an undeployed parachute, KGTV reported. He died despite efforts to revive him.

Police believe the man intended to parachute from the high-rise, known as BASE jumping, KNSD reported. Security guards reported previous BASE-jumping incidents at the building, police said.

The acronym stands for “buildings, antennae, spans and earth, such as cliffs,” which participants parachute off, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

It’s not clear whether the man jumped from the high-rise’s roof or how far he fell, KNSD reported.

This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 9:24 AM with the headline "Parachute failure kills man who jumped off high-rise tower, California police say."