PORTLAND, Ore. — Authorities say a 38-year-old man died when his parachute failed to deploy during a base jump from a 1,000-foot tower near Silverton, Oregon.
Sgt. Jeff Stutrud of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office says friends of 38-year-old Zachary Sommer of Portland called Thursday morning to report that he had not returned from a jump he had planned the night before.
Deputies discovered Sommer’s body in a field near the tower on private property.
Base jumping is like skydiving, but the participant jumps from a fixed object — like a bridge or cliff.
Stutrud says it’s is not legal in Marion County, but the old radio tower near Silverton attracts fans of the extreme sport.
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