Superstitions Mountains Death: Missing BASE Jumper, 25, Found Dead At Bottom Of Mountain In Arizona
A 25-year-old BASE jumper was reported missing by his concerned friends and family after he failed to return from a BASE jumping trip in the Superstitions Mountains on Thursday. The 25-year-old Brian Head took to the Arizona Mountains for a BASE jumping trip, but never returned. When Head failed to turn up to work on Friday, the police were notified, and a massive search immediately was called for the missing man. Sadly, on Saturday, searchers found Head’s body about 100 feet down the side of a cliff near Syphon Draw. The body has since been recovered, and authorities say the death is the result of a fall from the cliff, not a jump.
The Daily Mail reports that the “fearless” 25-year-old BASE jumper, Brian Head, was found dead in the Superstitions Mountains in Arizona this weekend. The BASE jumper was described by friends and family as “fearless” and “full of life.” The 25-year-old man left for a BASE jumping trip in the Arizona mountains on Thursday, but never returned. When Head failed to show up to work on Friday, friends and family became concerned and contacted law enforcement. Head’s mother, who lives in Dallas, said her son had not been heard from since Thursday, and that his work informed her he had not shown up for work. Therefore, she called officers on Friday afternoon. A search party took to the mountains to look for Head, and eventually found his body along the Syphon Draw about 100 feet down the side of a cliff.
The Sheriff’s Department working on the search effort notes that they do not that rescuers had to rappel down the side of the cliff to recover Head’s body. It was also noted that Head was not wearing his harness when the incident took place, and his parachute was never deployed. Therefore, it appears that the death was the result of an accidental fall, not a BASE jump gone bad.
“Technical Rescue Teams had to [rappel] down the side of the mountain to recover his body. When they reached Brian, his parachute harness was not on him and his parachute was never deployed.”
The Sheriff also confirmed that Brian died instantly upon impact. Brian had recently moved to Arizona from Texas for a job, and was exploring the area. He was an avid BASE jumper, and his Facebook page paints him as a thrill seeker who had recently announced a new relationship on Valentine’s Day with girlfriend Mandy Vann.
https://www.facebook.com/1387735487/posts/10208902658988894/
His Facebook page reveals that he had moved to Arizona to work in sales at Santander and was already BASE jumping in the area. Numerous photos show the young man jumping from a variety of red cliffs as he beams with excitement. One photo shows Head enjoying the Camelback Mountains near Phoenix just one week before his death.
Brian’s new girlfriend, Mandy, took to Facebook to honor Brian, as friends and family say that he would want them to be happy and to continue living life to the fullest. Mandy calls Brian “catfish” in her video, and says that she can’t imagine her life without Brian.
“You’re supposed to be here with me right now, eating Ben and Jerry’s and editing video clips. I don’t want to imagine life without my Catfish but I know I have to.”
https://www.facebook.com/mandy.vann.1/videos/vb.100000477490516/1334506596575244/?type=2&theater
Brian’s good friend Kylie told ABC15 that Brian’s death was a complete shock as he was the “one person” she “expected to live to be 100 and do everything.”
“He was so fun and full of life. He was like the one person I expected to live to be 100 and do everything. I know he went out doing what he loved, and he wouldn’t want us to be sad.”
[Image via Facebook/Brian Head]
