Base jumper who died after leap from University City high-rise was Cardiff resident

Authorities on Tuesday, March 29, released the name of a 48-year-old man who died a week ago when he tried to BASE jump at a high-rise apartment building in University City.

The county Medical Examiner’s Office said Cardiff resident Eric Roden jumped from the 23rd floor of Palisade UTC, a 23-story, upscale apartment building on the corner of Lomard Place and Nobel Drive. The Medical Examiner’s Office said Roden’s parachute likely malfunctioned.

Several witnesses called 911 to report the incident about 10:30 p.m. One of them heard a loud pop that sounded like a gunshot, stepped onto a balcony and saw a man bleeding on the ground, according to San Diego police radio traffic. Roden, who was wearing a helmet, landed on a strip of grass, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office and San Diego police.

Officers and paramedics gave Roden CPR, but he died at the scene.

Among the witnesses was his 16-year-old daughter, according to police.

“It’s not just one life lost, it’s another that is completely devastated,” police Capt. Scott Wahl said last week. “Our heart goes out to her and the rest of his family.”

BASE jumping consists of parachuting from fixed objects. The acronym BASE stands for categories of objects people jump from: buildings, antennae, spans and earth, such as cliffs.

Palisade UTC stands at 277 feet tall, according to Emporis, an online database of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings.