3 Yosemite BASE jumpers sentenced, fined
YOSEMITE, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 19: A view of El Capitan as hundreds of tourists and photographers flock in Yosemite National Park, California, United States on February 19, 2025. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. - Three BASE jumpers in Yosemite National Park have been sentenced and fined, and in one case, the person was banned from the park for two years, the National Park Service announced on Friday.
These convictions are from 2024 and 2020, and don't include the most recent BASE jumping activities captured on video on Oct. 6 and 12.
BASE jumping in Yosemite has been illegal since the mid-1980s.
The park service said the jumping has led to many injuries, deaths and high-risk rescues over the years. The term BASE refers to the four categories of fixed objects from which jumpers launch: Buildings, Antennas, Spans (bridges), and Earth (cliffs).
"We do not tolerate illegal activity in Yosemite National Park," Superintendent Raymond McPadden said in a statement. "These convictions demonstrate the professionalism and dedication of Yosemite’s protection team in upholding federal regulations and ensuring the safety of both visitors and first responders."
Of the most recent convictions, the park service
The most recent case was that of David A. Nunn, who was sentenced to two days in jail in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. He was also fined $2,510 and banned from entering Yosemite National Park during his probation of two years, the park service said.
His conviction stems from jumping from El Capitan on July 21, 2020.
That's when the park service said he suffered a severe equipment malfunction, colliding with the wall of El Capitan before crash-landing at the base, and was rescued by park rangers. He also had a previous conviction for the same offense in 1998.
Christopher Durell, who pleaded guilty to umping from the Porcelain Wall near North Dome in July 2024, was sentenced to 18 months probation, fined $600, and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service, according to the National Park Service. Joshua Iosue pleaded guilty to jumping from North Dome on the same day as Durrell, and was sentenced to two days in jail, two years of probation, and a $2,510 fine.