Having lived in the Magic Valley for a number of years, I've seen some Twin Falls BASE jumpers nearly die on several occasions, and these have been instances where individuals have followed all safety precautions. There are those people that still choose to take off from cliffs overlooking the Snake River on the Jerome and Twin Falls sides of the canyon, and they are taking a huge gamble with their lives.

BASE jumping is a very risky endeavor. The Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls is an appealing destination for thousands of jumpers annually because it's legal to take the leap. Jumping from cliffs surrounding the Snake River canyon isn't the safest route, and every year careless jumpers require rescuing from area emergency teams that put multiple lives in danger. These access points that enthusiasts are jumping from need to be blocked off.

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A recent YouTube video was posted that shows a Twin Falls BASE jumper take a running start across the bike and pedestrian walking trail with parachute deployed and jump from the edge of the canyon. There are two things wrong about taking this risk. Unlike jumping off the Perrine Bridge, you're risking a potential accident colliding with another person when attempting this act, and the overall injury risk for the jumper is doubled. Not everyone on a bike or jogging the trail is paying attention to whether or not someone is going to come running full speed at them toward the canyon's rim.

These jumps are also increasing the likelihood that city rescue teams will have to deploy to help someone who foolishly broke the law. Jumping off the bridge from the roof of a moving truck is also something that is starting to happen every year, and someone is going to pay with their life very soon.

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