LOS ANGELES (AP) – Extreme athlete Dean Potter knew the risks every time he flew off a cliff with a parachute.
He lost a friend to a BASE jumping accident last year and spoke about the death-defying nature of the sport at that friend’s memorial service.
“He always recognized how dangerous the sport was and at the same time, how magical it was – the tension between those two things,” fellow climber Chris McNamara said.
Potter, renowned for his daring and sometimes rogue climbs and BASE jumps, was one of two men killed after jumping from a 7,500-foot promontory in Yosemite National Park.
Someone called for help late Saturday after losing contact with Potter, 43, and his climbing partner, Graham Hunt, 29.