A Washington man died Sunday when his parachute failed during a BASE jump.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said 47-year-old Entiat resident Elliot Barstow’s parachute failed to fully open, causing him to fall roughly 650 feet near Wenatchee — about 140 miles east of Seattle in the central part of the state — by Milepost 202 on U.S. Route 97 Alternate. Witnesses said he spun, hit a rock wall, and then plummeted to the ground around 8:40 a.m. First responders arrived, but Barstow was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Barstow during this incredibly difficult time,” the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office wrote.
At least two similar accidents have occurred in the county in the last two years. In September 2023, a BASE jumper was rescued after he was stuck on a cliff face. Chelan County Mountain Rescue returned to the same area in June 2024 after a BASE jumper was injured.
A man died last year at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona after attempting a BASE jump from Yavapai Point.
BASE stands for buildings, antennas, spans (bridges) and earth (cliffs). BASE jumpers leap from a fixed point rather than an airplane like in skydiving. The high-risk recreational activity kills roughly 20 people a year.
