Jack Matthew Propeck has been charged after a video posted Oct. 8, 2025, allegedly shows him BASE jumping from Glacier Point in Yosemite. Ranger Cody Hays identified the site, and license-plate reader images reportedly place Propeck’s car in the park; witnesses say the sunglasses in the footage match his. Propeck allegedly claimed he uses AI to insert his face into videos, but the affidavit says there is no evidence for that. His next court date is April 7; a conviction could bring fines and up to six months in jail.
California Man Charged After Video Allegedly Shows BASE Jump From Yosemite’s Glacier Point
Half Dome and Yosemite Valley as seen from Glacier Point in Yosemite National ParkCraig Kohlruss/Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty
Jack Matthew Propeck has been charged after prosecutors say a social media video posted Oct. 8, 2025, shows him BASE jumping from Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park — an activity that is banned in the park except in emergency situations or when authorized by a valid permit.
Yosemite National ParkGetty
Allegations and Evidence
According to a criminal complaint and supporting affidavit obtained by SFGATE and the Los Angeles Times, park ranger Cody Hays filed the complaint on Dec. 12 after receiving a tip on Oct. 14 about a video showing an individual running off Glacier Point and free-falling over Yosemite Valley before deploying a parachute. The post, which appears to have been deleted, allegedly included footage that pans to the jumper’s face.
National Park Service uniformPaul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty
The affidavit states that Hays identified the location as Glacier Point and matched the jumper’s face to Propeck’s California driver’s license photo. License-plate reader images reportedly show a vehicle registered to Propeck entering the park on Oct. 7 at 12:26 p.m. and leaving Oct. 8 at 10:34 a.m.; those images allegedly show Propeck driving and wearing the same purple mirrored sunglasses seen in the video. The affidavit also notes the clip was posted to Facebook.
U.S. Park Ranger vehicleGetty
Charges And Claim Of AI Use
Propeck is charged with “delivering or retrieving a person or object by parachute, helicopter, or other airborne means,” an activity Yosemite National Park does not permit outside of emergencies, according to the complaint. If convicted, he could face fines and up to six months in jail, per reporting by SFGATE.
When contacted by phone on Oct. 20, Propeck allegedly told Hays the person in the video was not him and said he “just posts cool videos to his page,” adding that he uses artificial intelligence to place his face into clips. Hays wrote in the affidavit that there is “no evidence to suggest that AI was used to make or alter the video” and that the footage is consistent with other BASE-jumping videos posted by the same Instagram account.
Next Steps And Context
Propeck’s next court date is scheduled for April 7, according to the Los Angeles Times. PEOPLE has contacted the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, the National Park Service and Propeck for comment.
Authorities previously reported an apparent increase in BASE-jumping activity in Yosemite during the federal government shutdown last year — the period when Propeck is alleged to have been in the park.
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