http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-32776686

A real shame but not entirely unsurprising given the extent of some of the things he did like McConkey before him. I was most captured by his big wall climbing. From the article (referencing the high line walking)

“My vision turns black and white except for the searing red line.

Sounds fade. I feel faint, face flushed with heat.

My muscles tense, but I hold calmness in my centre and loosen my arms from the shoulders to my fingertips.

The moment sickens me, and my mind tries to stop it, but I command myself to walk.”

Poor Whisper’s lost his dad 🙁

Not great life expectancy with BASE jumping and Wingsuit flights. I wonder how much the perceived (or actual) need to keep pushing to make money from films is a factor. His prior film sponsor pulled out of further projects as they thought it was getting too dangerous.

I would be surprised if it was down to money. Some people just have to keep pushing the limits. Some get away with it and retire. Some don’t.

Very sad, but not entirely unexpected given the dangers of wingsuit flying. I was more impressed by his activities on the rock than jumping off it. He did some crazy free solos and speed records. RIP.

Graham Hunt also died on the same flight.

BASE jumping is reasonably safe if you know what you’re doing and you’re not crazy, it’s the wingsuit stuff which is beyond mental. You just don’t have the level of control to get out of stuff if something changes, such as thermals. If you misjudge something, which is easy at the sorts of speeds they are going at, there’s no room to correct it……

According to Yosemite chief of staff Mike Gauthier, the pair made the jump late Saturday. Their spotter heard two sounds that could have been impacts or could have been the noises made by parachutes snapping open. She followed standard protocols, first trying to reach the pair by radio, with no luck, and then moving to a predetermined meeting place.

Pretty grim to be the spotter and to hear a noise like that. Likewise for the rescue services who had to recover the bodies, that can’t have been very pleasant.

Story Link

is it on youtube yet?

Neither had pulled their chutes, so it was a full speed impact…grim.

Guess this should be in the things you only do once thread…

Extreme sports are dangerous …