Trio Convicted for Illicit BASE Jumping in Yosemite National Park: Landmark Case Highlights Strict Regulations

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The National Park Service (NPS) revealed on Friday that three individuals were recently convicted for engaging in illegal BASE jumping activities in Yosemite National Park.

“Yosemite National Park strictly prohibits unlawful behavior,” stated Superintendent Raymond McPadden. “Our dedicated law enforcement rangers are on duty around the clock, every day of the year, to maintain safety and order.”

Despite the ban on BASE jumping across all national parks, a few daredevils each year partake in this risky activity, endangering not only themselves but also potential rescuers and fellow park visitors, according to the NPS.

On July 15, 2024, U.S. Park Rangers tracked down Christopher Durrell at Mirror Lake following reports of two jumpers near North Dome. Durrell confessed to leaping from the Porcelain Wall and subsequently pleaded guilty to the offense.

Durrell was sentenced in September to 18 months of unsupervised probation, 40 hours of community service and was fined $600. His BASE canopy and wingsuit were also forfeited.

Joshua A. Iosue, who fled on foot after the North Dome BASE jump but was later identified and cited also pleaded guilty. He was sentenced earlier this month to two days in jail, 24 months of unsupervised probation and was fined $2,510.

“He is banned from entering Yosemite National Park during his probation,” the NPS said.

El Capitan

David Dunn suffered a severe equipment malfunction and collided with the wall of El Capitan before crash-landing at the base on July 21, 2020. Dunn, who had a previous conviction for the same offense in 1998, had to be rescued by NPS personnel.

After pleading guilty, Dunn was sentenced in September to two days in jail, 12 months of unsupervised probation, $760 in fines and restitution of $458.77 to cover the cost of his rescue. “He is banned from entering Yosemite during probation and was ordered to forfeit his parachute and harness,” the NPS said.

BASE jumping in Yosemite has been illegal since the mid-1980s. “The activity has led to numerous injuries, fatalities and high-risk rescues over the years, endangering both jumpers and rescuers,” the NPS said.

Earlier this month, 23-year-old Alaskan mountaineer Balin Miller fell to his death from Yosemite’s El Capitan during an apparent livestream.

A Yosemite-area photographer who witnessed the incident said that Miller was trying to free a stuck bag immediately before he fell, KTLA sister station KSEE reported.