RIFLE, Colo.—A man fell nearly 2,000 feet when his parachute didn’t open all the way after jumping off the Roan Plateau near Rifle in western Colorado.
The Garfield County sheriff’s office says the man who jumped off the Anvil Points section of the plateau Wednesday landed about 100 yards below a cliff face on a scree field. Two other parachutists hiked to the victim and called authorities .
Authorities say the three were BASE jumping. BASE stands for the places such jumpers usually leap from: buildings, antennae, spans and earth.
Authorities contacted Colorado Army National Guard helicopters flying in the area.
A medic lowered from one of the helicopters hoisted the man up. He was taken to a medical helicopter and flown to a hospital. Authorities say he was conscious and alert.
