Andy Lewis – A world-record-holding slackliner known for performing with Madonna died in a BASE jumping accident in Utah’s remote Mineral Bottom canyon on June 14, authorities said. The Grand County Sheriff’s Office also reported a second victim, Danny Joe Kregle, died fro
When news reached Moab that a BASE jump had turned deadly, the response came fast—but from a distance. On June 14, two people died after a BASE jumping accident in a remote area of the Mineral Bottom canyon outside of Moab, according to the Grand County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said in a press release that the incident occurred in the area known for difficult access, prompting a response that included first responders and two intermountain helicopters. Both individuals died of their injuries at the scene.
The sheriff’s office identified one victim as Andy Lewis, a slackliner and extreme sports athlete. Lewis was known for performing alongside Madonna in the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show, after which he gained a wider following for his high-wire feats.
Officials described the second victim as an approximately 50-year-old male. Local reporting identified him as Danny Joe Kregle, 68. The sheriff’s office said he died from injuries sustained in the same accident.
Lewis was 39.
Lewis became widely known after performing with Madonna in the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show on Feb. 5, 2012. During the performance, he walked on a wire for about 30 seconds before backflipping onto the stage. He told ABC News at the time that he had been slacklining for more than seven years.
Before the halftime appearance, Lewis broke the Guinness World Record for most side surfs on a slackline in one minute at the Diaoshuilou Waterfall in Mudanjiang City, China, on Aug. 28, 2011.
In Utah, Lewis ran BASE Jump Moab, a BASE jumping company. He was also associated with Moab Swingers, a rope swing attraction in Utah.
After the death was reported, Moab Swingers co-owner Jimmy Peterson confirmed the news in a social media post and said he was “heartbroken” over Lewis’ death.
A social media post from Aerial Arts Moab also described Lewis as a co-owner and said the accident happened during a tandem BASE jump—when an instructor and student jump off a fixed object together with a single parachute.
Kregle’s family said they want him to be remembered in the way they knew him best. Family members confirmed to local outlets The Times-Independent and Fox 13 that he died in the accident.
In a statement to those outlets. the family said they hope he “can be remembered for the life he lived and the people who loved him.” The statement added: “Danny had a wonderful sense of humor and was always looking for ways to make people laugh. One of his greatest joys was performing magic tricks alongside his granddaughter. He was the light of her world, and she was the light of his.”.
The family also described Kregle as a “devoted father” to two daughters and an “accomplished businessman” in Arizona.
Between the details of who Lewis was—record-setting. stage-known. and running ventures in Moab—and the stark reporting from authorities about a remote canyon and a tandem jump. the facts land with hard clarity. Two people died in a place where rescue takes time and reach is limited. with first responders and two intermountain helicopters responding before both were declared dead.
BASE jumping. the National Park Service says. is a recreational sport that involves jumping from fixed objects using a parachute to descend to the ground. BASE is an acronym for the four categories of objects from which participants leap: buildings. antennas. spans (bridges). and earth (cliffs). according to BASE Access.
At this point. the Grand County Sheriff’s Office has not provided additional details beyond identifying Andy Lewis and describing the crash location and response. The case is now set against the broader reality that in BASE jumping. even the most practiced routines can end in moments that cannot be reversed.
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