A California man was injured trying to parachute off the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge on Wednesday.

John Nourse, 24, of San Jose and one of his friends leaped from the bridge, but his parachute didn’t open enough to break his 600-foot descent.

State police Lt. Wesley La Cuesta said safety matters in the sport of BASE jumping, in which jumpers wait four seconds after leaping before deploying their parachutes. BASE stands for building, antennae, span and earth.

“Both were experienced BASE jumpers. He did a back flip and waited five seconds,” La Cuesta said. “His chute didn’t fully open.”

La Cuesta said Nourse suffered a broken ankle and thighbone. Rescuers administered morphine to Nourse before a National Guard Black Hawk helicopter airlifted him from the Gorge around 2:30 p.m. and took him to Holy Cross Hospital in Taos.

LaCuesta said state police are considering citing Nourse on a public nuisance charge.