A weekend BASE jumping accident in a Utah canyon killed two people, one of them a daredevil athlete best known for performing onstage with Madonna at the 2012
FILE - U.S. slackliner Andy Lewis of Calif. balances on a slackline in Bangkok, Thailand, July 23, 2014. A weekend BASE jumping accident in a Utah canyon killed two people, one of them a daredevil athlete best known for performing onstage with Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office in Grand County, Utah, confirmed one of the dead was Andy Lewis, an extreme athlete known for feats in BASE jumping, a dangerous sport that involves parachuting to the ground after jumping from a tall fixed object such as a building, a bridge or a desert cliff overlooking a deep canyon. Lewis was also a prominent figure in the niche sports of slacklining and tricklining, which combine elements of high-wire walking with aerial acrobatics — sometimes at perilous heights.
Lewis went from obscure athlete to overnight celebrity when he appeared onstage in Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl halftime show. Dressed in a Roman toga, Lewis bounced and executed tricks on his inch-wide line like it was a trampoline while Madonna sang behind him.
“My phone actually rang itself to death three days in a row,” Lewis said soon afterward in an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late night show. Emergency responders were dispatched Sunday to a report of people injured in a BASE jumping attempt at Mineral Bottom, a remote desert area near the Utah-Colorado line, according to the sheriff’s office. Lewis and an unidentified 50-year-old man died at the scene, the sheriff’s office said in a news release. Sheriff’s Lt.
Al Cymbaluk confirmed to The Associated Press that it was Lewis the extreme athlete who died. He said he had no further details on the fatal accident. Lewis owned BASE Jump Moab, a business that offered excursions to inexperienced customers using tandem jumps, in which the customer was harnessed to a guide wearing the parachute.
“It’s weird to think about how many people are dead, because it’s like a normal thing,” Lewis told documentary filmmaker Ella Warnick in an interview published last year. Lewis won four straight world championships in competitive slacklining from 2008 through 2011. Lewis set a Guinness World Record for slackline surfing, swaying his feet side to side in a rocking motion that mimics surfing, while keeping his balance above China’s Diaoshuilou waterfall in 2011.
In 2014, he walked a slackline suspended between two hot air balloons more than 4,000 feet above the Nevada desert. A weekend BASE jumping accident in a Utah canyon killed two people, one of them a daredevil athlete best known for performing onstage with Madonna at the 2012 Super Bowl, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office in Grand County, Utah, confirmed one of the dead was Andy Lewis, an extreme athlete known for feats in BASE PORTLAND, Maine — A second firefighter has died from injuries suffered while fighting a fire and explosion at a Maine lumber mill last month. The May 15 fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont sent plumes of black smoke into the sky and necessitated a response from hundreds of firefighters to a rural part of NEW YORK — In the final moments before the Knicks ended their 53-year NBA championship drought, Yolanda Matos found herself hosting a scrum of anxious New Yorkers on the sidewalk outside her Brooklyn home.
Heads lowered in quiet prayer. Boxes of pizza passed from people in jerseys to people in suits. And Matos — BUTLER, Mo. — Several of the skydivers killed when their plane crashed moments after taking off from a Missouri airfield had jumped before and they belonged to a community with a unique bond, one friend said.
The plane carrying a pilot and 11 passengers crashed in a field and burst into flames Sunday, killing MADISON, Wis. — A Wisconsin beagle breeding farm that’s been the site of recent violent protests is closing, and its remaining dogs are being taken in by a Florida rescue group.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue announced Monday that it has reached an agreement for the permanent closure of Ridglan Farms and the transfer of Vice President JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism whose faith has been central to his adult life, writes about his religious journey in a new book that could ultimately serve as a sort of origin story for a future presidential campaign.
“Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith” comes out Tuesday from Harper, and The June is National Men’s Health Month: Advancing prostate cancer treatment while preserving quality of life One in eight men will hear the words"you have prostate cancer" in their lifetime. Unfortunately, many men tend to overlook the importance of preventative care. When is the best time to see whales in the Salish Sea?
Each of the four whale species in our waters follows its own seasonal rhythm, and understanding those patterns is the key to planning your experience. Colon cancer is one of the most common and deadliest types of cancer, and routine screenings are the best way to reduce your chances of becoming a statistic.
Redmond HVAC contractor earns triple recognition in 60 days, reflecting a shift in how homeowners vet contractors Three independent organizations that evaluate home service contractors each reached the same conclusion: Home Comfort Alliance is among the most reliable in its market.
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oklahoma State Softball Lands Utah’s Kennedy Proctor as First TransferOklahoma State softball coach Kenny Gajewski hinted at it on Friday. On Saturday, it happened. Kennedy Proctor is a Cowgirl.
Read more »
Utah County city begins crackdown on drivers running red lightsOne of Utah's fastest-growing cities is dealing with the growing problem of drivers running red lights.
Read more »
US revives Pearl Harbor-based submarine squadron disbanded in 2012Reactivated after 14 years, Submarine Squadron 3 will help support US and UK nuclear-powered submarines rotating through Australia.
Read more »
Record-breaking daredevil who performed at Super Bowl with Madonna dies in BASE jumping tragedyRecord-breaking daredevil Andy Lewis, known as 'Sketchy Andy,' died in a BASE jumping accident near Moab, Utah, during a tandem jump Sunday.
Read more »