[NPR] The world of climbing lost a daring innovator Saturday, when Dean Potter, 46, died during a wingsuit flight from Yosemite National Park's Taft Point. Potter was killed along with Graham Hunt, 29, as they attempted to soar above Yosemite Valley and El Capitan.
The pair attempted their wingsuit flight on Saturday around dusk -- a time that National Geographic says many athletes choose for BASE jumping, which is illegal in all of America's national parks. They were found Sunday by a search and rescue helicopter.
BASE jumping, we'll remind you, is the sport of parachuting from a fixed point, such as a cliff or structure. The acronym stands for the leaping-off point: a building, antenna, span or the Earth. It has also gained a reputation for being deadly. Since the early 1980s, 256 people have died while taking part in the sport, according to Blinc magazine.
"Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid."
~ John Wayne, The Sands of Iwo Jima. |