David Stather, Calgary doctor, dies in Grand Canyon BASE jumping

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Victim in BASE jumping accident identified as Canadian surgeon

An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter sits near the Confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers on Saturday. A Coconino County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team had to short-haul the body of a wingsuit BASE jumper who died while jumping near Grand Canyon National Park on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Coconino County Sheriff's Office) 15 hours ago • By ERIC BETZSun staff reporter Officials with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office have identified the man killed while wingsuit BASE jumping on Friday near the Grand Canyon as a 41-year-old Canadian doctor.David Stather, of Calgary, had successfully jumped once in the area of the Confluence of the Little Colorado and Colorado rivers on Friday, but his friends lost contact with him following a second jump from the canyon rim.Once they hiked out of the canyon, the pair was able to see Stather’s body some 2,000 feet below the rim. They called 911 at about 5:30 p.m. Rescuers could not reach Stather by helicopter on Friday night because it was too dark. An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter was able to reach his body on Saturday and confirm he had died of his injuries.Stather was a well-known and respected respiratory therapist and surgeon at Alberta Health Center in Canada.He was jumping with another Canadian man, as well as an Eloy, Ariz., resident.