That is exactly the case when Jan Davis BASE jumped from the El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park protesting the ban—and died.
BASE (sometimes written as B.A.S.E.—Building, Antenna, Span, and Earth) jumping has always been a hot-button topic for the alluring El Capitan formation with adrenaline junkies flocking to the top to jump off and the National Park Service doing their best to stop them.
The first BASE jump was on July 24, 1966 where both men, Michael Pelkey and Brian Shubert, sustained broken bones.
An experiment with allowing BASE-jumping permits was conducted in 1980, but disregard for the park's rules and environment shut it down after just 10 weeks.
On October 23, 1999, stuntwoman Jan Davis jumped from El Capitan illegal as a protest on the ban but ended up dying as a result. Due to her actions and fatality, the ban has continued and been more concrete than ever.
