Parachutist, 73, dies in Snake River Canyon jump

TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- A Twin Falls County sheriff's spokeswoman says a 73-year-old man has died in a parachute jump off a bridge over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho.

The Twin Falls Times-News reports that spokeswoman Lori Stewart says the man's parachute deployed too late and he landed Thursday evening in the Snake River. Several of his friends retrieved his body from the water and brought him to the dock at a nearby park. Medics pronounced him dead.

The accident happened around 5:30 p.m., CBS affiliate KMVT reports.

Stewart says the man was an experienced BASE jumper. He was not immediately identified pending notification of relatives.

BASE jumping is parachuting from a fixed structure or cliff. The Perrine Bridge over the canyon is popular with such jumpers. The bridge is about 500 feet above the river.