A record-setting extreme sports performer who once shared the Super Bowl stage with Madonna has been identified as one of two men killed in a BASE jumping accident near Moab, Utah, over the weekend, authorities confirmed.
Andy Lewis, famed in the adventure sports world for a 2013 highline record 480 feet above Las Vegas, died Sunday during a tandem BASE jump in the Mineral Bottom area, according to Fox News. The Grand County Sheriff's Office said both men suffered fatal injuries after something went wrong during the jump, underscoring once again the razor-thin margin for error in a sport that thrives on risk and personal freedom.
"He was a very big personality," one Moab resident told Fox News Digital Monday. "Everyone knew him." The second victim, described only as a man about 50 years old, has not yet been publicly identified as officials work through the formal notification process.
Lewis final Instagram post, uploaded Sunday shortly before his death, showed him executing a flip off a desert cliff outside Moab, a stark reminder of how quickly life can change in high-risk pursuits. "Thanks for keeping me in frame for my test jump <3," he wrote, adding, "...Stoked for the rest of the season. What a journey its been and its only just begun."
In a statement, the sheriffs office emphasized the human cost of the tragedy, noting the impact on families and the tight-knit adventure community. "The Grand County Sheriff's Office extends its deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and all those affected by this tragic incident," the statement concluded.
Originally from California, Lewis moved to Moab and earned the nickname "Sketchy Andy" for his death-defying slacklining and BASE jumping feats that drew both admiration and concern. He appeared on Red Bulls Ultimate Rush in 2016, attempting a highline walk between two hot air balloons 4,000 feet above the ground, a stunt that epitomized his willingness to push personal limits rather than rely on government-regulated safety nets.
At the time of his death, Lewis held a Guinness World Record for a slack rope walk above a waterfall in Mudanjiang City, China, and had performed stunts on at least three continents, including record-setting efforts in Bangkok and at Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. He also drew national attention in 2020 as part of a four-man group that removed a mysterious 12-foot metal monolith from public land outside Salt Lake City, a moment that highlighted ongoing tensions over public space, government oversight, and individual initiative in the American West.
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