MISSION VIEJO, CA — An Orange County man who was arrested for illegally BASE jumping in Yosemite National Park said the video he took of the stunt was created by AI, multiple outlets reported.
Jack Propeck is facing federal charges for the Oct. 8 jump after he posted the stunt on Instagram, according to KTLA 5. It has since been removed from the social media site.
A report published by the L.A. Times stated that a license plate reader scanned Propeck's car entering the park Oct. 7 and leaving the next day, with photographs showing him behind the wheel, reportedly wearing the same sunglasses seen in the BASE jumping video.
According to SFGate, Propeck originally told authorities he had a permit to jump in Yosemite, though no such permit exists. He then apparently told park rangers that he had used artificial intelligence to superimpose his face on another jumper, according to the report.
However, park rangers wrote in an affidavit that there "is no evidence to suggest that AI was used to make or alter the video," the report said. Park rangers also noted that the footage of Propeck BASE jumping in Yosemite was consistent with other video posted to his account.
BASE jumping is a recreational sport in which someone equipped with a parachute jumps from a fixed objects and makes a descent. It is banned in national parks unless it involves an emergency or is conducted under the terms of a permit.
Violations are generally charged as federal petty offenses, which can carry various penalties, including fines and up to six months in jail.
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