News

Actions

BASE jumper who fell 100 feet from Camelback Mountain speaks out

Posted at 10:30 PM, Dec 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-30 10:32:42-05

Landon Dirnberger says he's taken the plunge off Camelback more times than he can count, but a fall on Tuesday was unlike anything he's experienced before.

Dirnberger spoke from the hospital as he continues to recover from the fall caught on camera.

His legs are wrapped up, he's unable to stand or walk, but doctors say Dirnberger is lucky it wasn't worse.

"I like trying new adventures, not really one specific thing, I just like to see what the world has to offer," said Dirnberger.

The adventure almost ended in disaster when his parachute opened and directed him into the cliff face at Echo Canyon.

"I hit the cliff twice, it's hard to tell, but the last impact was more of a vertical drop than a horizontal drop," said Dirnberger

Dirnberger estimates he fell about 100 feet. 

Doctors say a lot of people don't survive a fall like that.

"It takes at least two to three months for those bones to heal before he can start walking again," said Dr. Charles Hu from HonorHealth Scottsdale Osborn Hospital.

Dirnberger has watched the video of the incident, first obtained by ABC15. 

He says there's no conclusion about what possibly caused the accident.

"I have some ideas of things that might be part of the problem, but there's no way to tell exactly," said Dirnberger.

Dirnberger says it's the adrenaline that gets him going and his BASE jumping days are far from over.

Dirnberger will have surgery once the swelling goes down and then he will head to a rehabilitation center.

He says he plans to jump once he is fully recovered which could be eight to 12 months away.