D
DannyDeVito
Guest
Dean Potter - one of America's best known extreme athletes - has been killed during a stunt in California.
The 43-year-old died while attempting a wingsuit flight from the 7,500 ft (2,286m) Taft Point promontory in Yosemite National Park, a park spokesman said.
Fellow extreme athlete Graham Hunt also died as the pair attempted to fly at high speed.
Rescuers found the bodies soon after contact had been lost with the men.
The men were wearing skin tight suits with batwing sleeves and a flap between their legs to help them glide.
Park ranger Scott Gediman said that their parachutes had not been deployed.
"This is a horrible incident, and our deepest sympathies go out to their friends and family," Mr Gediman told the AP news agency. "This is a huge loss for all of us."
Such stunts are illegal in the National Park but enthusiasts frequently manage to evade the authorities.
Dean Potter: The sensation of 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.
The 43-year-old died while attempting a wingsuit flight from the 7,500 ft (2,286m) Taft Point promontory in Yosemite National Park, a park spokesman said.
Fellow extreme athlete Graham Hunt also died as the pair attempted to fly at high speed.
Rescuers found the bodies soon after contact had been lost with the men.
The men were wearing skin tight suits with batwing sleeves and a flap between their legs to help them glide.
Park ranger Scott Gediman said that their parachutes had not been deployed.
"This is a horrible incident, and our deepest sympathies go out to their friends and family," Mr Gediman told the AP news agency. "This is a huge loss for all of us."
Such stunts are illegal in the National Park but enthusiasts frequently manage to evade the authorities.
Dean Potter: The sensation of 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.
