Man dies in BASE jump from Glacier Park peak

A 22-year-old Missoula man was found dead last weekend on the north side of Mount Siyeh in Glacier National Park after an apparent failed attempt at a BASE jump off the mountain.

The body of Beau Weiher was recovered Sunday night. It is believed he fell 1,500 to 2,000 feet.

Park officials were notified Saturday evening that Weiher was overdue from a solo hike in the Many Glacier area.

Information from Weiher’s family and friends indicated that Weiher’s intended route was likely a hike in the Piegan Pass and Mount Siyeh areas, and may have included a BASE jump.

In BASE jumping, participants jump from fixed objects and use a parachute to break their fall. The activity is prohibited in Glacier National Park.

During search efforts, Park rangers found tracks that suggested Weiher might have been in the area below the summit of Mount Siyeh. The area included snowy terrain.

At 6 p.m. Sunday, personnel on board the Two Bear Air Helicopter spotted what they believed to be a parachute. The body of Weiher was found below the summit of Mount Siyeh.

Siyeh is the fifth highest mountain in the park at 10,014 feet.

The north face rises more than 4,000 feet above Cracker Lake, with the top 3,500 feet being nearly vertical. Several climbing websites refer to the north face as the highest cliff in the lower 48 states.

In 1997 a BASE jumper made it 300 feet down before his parachute got hung up on rocks. He survived the fall and was rescued by park rangers.