Daredevil BASE Jumper Andy Lewis Dies in Fatal Jump
A tragic BASE jumping accident in a Utah canyon resulted in the deaths of two individuals over the weekend. Among them was Andy Lewis, a well-known daredevil athlete famous for performing with Madonna during the 2012 Super Bowl halftime show, authorities confirmed.
Emergency teams responded on Sunday to reports of injuries from a BASE jumping attempt at Mineral Bottom, a remote desert location near the Utah-Colorado border, as reported by the Grand County, Utah sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office identified one of the deceased as Andy Lewis, recognized for his extreme sports achievements in BASE jumping. This high-risk activity involves parachuting from fixed structures like bridges or cliffs above deep canyons. According to Aerial Arts Moab, the victims were performing a tandem jump, where two jumpers are strapped together. Aerial Arts Moab described Lewis as both a co-owner and close friend.
Lewis also managed BASE Jump Moab, a company providing tandem jumps for beginners, pairing them with guides equipped with parachutes. Promotional content on the company’s website features duos leaping off towering cliffs, their parachutes deploying swiftly afterward.
Known for his daring stunts, Lewis had a robust reputation in BASE jumping circles. John McEvoy, a BASE jumping instructor in Twin Falls, Idaho, noted Lewis’s extraordinary skills and willingness to take significant risks. McEvoy praised Lewis’s athleticism, built over years of practice, but acknowledged the high level of risk he accepted.
“He had an incredible level of athleticism and skill that was developed over years of practice,” McEvoy said. “But then he would take an incredible amount of risk.”
The other individual who perished was identified as Danny Joe Kregle, a 68-year-old man remembered as both a father and grandfather. A relative, Sydney Laverty, described Kregle as a businessman with a humor-filled nature who delighted in performing magic tricks with his granddaughter.
Aside from BASE jumping, Lewis was a key figure in slacklining and tricklining, sports combining elements of tightrope walking with acrobatics at exciting heights. His career gained prominence after his 2012 Super Bowl performance with Madonna, where dressed in a Roman toga, he performed tricks on a line as a trampoline while Madonna sang.
Lewis’s involvement in BASE jumping underscored the sport’s inherent dangers. BASEaddict.com records indicate 540 global BASE jumping fatalities since 1981, including 30 deaths last year. Among notable losses were Dean Potter and Graham Hunt, who died attempting a wingsuit flight in Yosemite National Park, 2015.
A 2007 study in Norway highlighted BASE jumping’s risks, finding it five to eight times more dangerous than skydiving. Lewis himself acknowledged these risks, remarking on the number of casualties in a previous interview.
Tandem BASE jumping combines the added risk of bonding two jumpers under one parachute, typically involving one inexperienced participant. John McEvoy commented on its contentious nature within the community, as some criticize while others advocate for these experiences.
Lewis was an accomplished slackliner, holding four consecutive world championships from 2008 to 2011 and setting a Guinness World Record for slackline surfing in 2011. His slacklining acts, such as crossing a line between hot air balloons above the Nevada desert, contributed to his recognition alongside his performance with Madonna.