MAY 18, 2015
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Extreme athlete Dean Potter, renowned for climbing without
safety ropes and jumping from high platforms, has died, turning into pulp after
jumping 7,500 feet.
The 43-year-old daredevil was killed along with climbing
partner, Graham Hunt, 29, after attempting a wingsuit flight in Yosemite
National Park, in the United States. BASE
jumping, in which someone parachutes from a fixed structure or cliff, is
illegal in Yosemite.
Potter’s life ended on Saturday, with
the pair’s bodies eventually found by a helicopter in Yosemite Valley
yesterday morning.
Their parachutes had not been deployed after they had jumped
from a 7,500-foot promontory called Taft Point.
As we wrote above, this is an illegal activity at Yosemite, yet this guy
defied it and met his maker. I am sure
God will give him few pieces of advice when he sees him after his body is
separated from the mother earth where he smashed into.
‘This is a horrible incident, and our deepest sympathies go
out to their friends and family,’ park ranger Scott Gediman said.
‘This is a huge loss for all of us.’ (I do not think so,
buddy. He will not be missed by most
people – what is the point of risking your life to fly of a rock).
Potter was famous for pushing the boundaries of climbing by
going up some of the world’s most daunting big walls and cliffs alone, using
his bare hands and no ropes.
He took the sport to an extreme level with highlining –
walking across a rope suspended between towering rock formations while wearing
a parachute for safety in the event of a fall.
In 2009, he set a record for completing the longest base jump
from the Eiger North Face in Switzerland by staying in flight in a wingsuit for
2 minutes and 50 seconds.
Potter is also known for completing solo ascents, tightrope
walks across some of the world’s most famous rock formations, and BASE jumps
without a rope, tether or other safety gear. He drew criticism in May 2006
after he made a “free solo” climb of Utah’s iconic Delicate Arch, prompting
outdoor clothing company Patagonia to drop its sponsorship of him.
Recently, he appeared in a film that chronicled his
adventures BASE jumping with his dog.
Crazy morons always have been and always will be with
us. This guy took extreme liberties with
safety and in fact no safety at all.
Eventually, he met his fate: death by crushing death.
We all love nature. I am an avid gardener. But I want to live many-many years to enjoy this passion. Why would I do risky behaviors to shorten my life?
There is an old Greek proverb that goes like that:
"the clay
pot goes many times to get water from the mountain spring. It only has to break once."
This guy took many risks numerous times, he
performed numerous banned activities; he eventually killed himself and also
took with him another brainless assistant.
RIP, you deserve it.