An internationally renowned extreme athlete and an Arizona man died Sunday during a tandem BASE jump at Mineral Bottom, according to Grand County Sheriff Jamison Wiggins.
Identity of the second jumper
Grand County Sheriff Wiggins identified the second individual involved in the incident as 50-year-old Danny Joe Kregle of Arizona. The incident occurred during a tandem jump at the Mineral Bottom location.
Profile of Andy Lewis
The deceased athlete, Andy Lewis, was 39 years old and known by the nickname "Sketchy Andy." Born in Santa Rosa, California, Lewis moved to Moab in the 2000s and gained international fame as a slackliner, trickliner, and highliner.
Career highlights and achievements
Lewis' career included performing during Madonna’s 2012 Super Bowl halftime show and setting a Guinness World Record in 2011 for the most side-surf movements on a slackline in one minute. He also completed a record-length urban highline walk between towers at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in 2013.
Past legal issues in Moab
Lewis' time in Moab involved several legal and regulatory issues. In 2014, he was fined $965 and banned from entering national parks for 18 months following illegal BASE jumps in Arches National Park.
In 2017, Lewis faced four misdemeanor harassment charges after posting threatening comments on Facebook directed at local climbers. The City of Moab later dismissed those charges after Lewis pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.
