The extreme sports world is mourning the loss of two thrill seekers, one of them, a legend. Dean Potter and Graham Hunt fell to their death after making a night base jump. Ben Tracy reports on the tragic accident.
If I did this just once in my life, my adrenaline and Dopamine receptors would be off the charts. I would strike it off my bucket list and consider it a victory. This guy did it over 700 times. I'd say that's an addiction and its took another life😞
Thank Heaven he didn’t have his dog strapped to his back. If he wanted to risk his own life, fine, but he shouldn’t have put his poor dog in harm’s way.
@@delano62, the brag being he urinated on his owner six times and never had any consequences for it. I'm sure the dog reasoned out the reason as the wet spot had dried off in all the breeze.
@@stevewillis1916 wingsuit implies it's not a naturally occurring thing, like a flying squirrel. I'm imagining a bunch of howler monkeys flying around in wing suits that ate now upset they lost the record
@@cristianm7097 Yep. I know one person who got too close to the edge and survived. Got rid of all his BASE gear within the next week and has never gone back.
Base jumping is as dangerous as you make it. You can fly high and activate your parachute early or try to fly through insanely narrow holes or just few meters above the ground.
I always had a recurring dream/nightmare of falling as a kid but as I got older I played football, raced motorcycles and the went on to Engineering College and at 63 I am still alive.
He didn’t “throw himself off a cliff to his death”, he took a calculated risk to fly without the desire to die but accepting it could happen. Don’t be such a wuss. However yeah no reason to bring your dog wing suit flying that’s kind of dumb.
@@sufferyetgain Not really. I live in an assisted living community & I get laid a lot - aides, nurses, etc. I have a ton of cash so that helps lol. And the aides bring me great weed. It's not boring 😄
@@sufferyetgain Boring? My life of 54 years so far has been CHOCK FULL of adventures, excitement, purpose, achievement, and fulfillment. And I didn’t have to switch a segment of my brain off and throw myself from mountains to achieve that. Embracing stupidity is not the wisest of ways to avoid boredom. We have but one life on earth. It’s so sad when it’s wasted.
@@riverbankfisher Meanwhile half a million USA citizens choose death *every yr* instead of eating healthy and exercising. Why are we not equally terrified of processed food and sedentary life style?
@@Mrbfgray Couldn't agree more, Bo. I bench-press nearly twice my body weight, and my German Shepherd can barely keep up with me on my beach cruiser. All the same my agreement with fate is that I don't tempt it, so as not to be consumed by it.
They renamed it the Splat Valley in Yosemite Disneyland with a giant X and a "You are about to be here" sign, followed by a free visit by the assistant coroner
On May 16, 2015, Dean Potter and Graham Hunt died attempting a proximity wingsuit flight from Taft Point above Yosemite Valley.[18][3] The route they were attempting, which they had flown before, required them to clear a small notch in a rocky ridge line. Hunt hit a side wall during the flight while Potter cleared the notch before crashing. Both died on impact.[19] Neither of them had deployed their parachutes.[20][21][22]
I watched an interview with an avid sky diver and thrill seeker who nearly died. He had a near death experience and what he thought was a good, respectable life when shown through Gods eyes was actually terribly selfish and flippant. He was mortified at how much of a waste his daredevil antics had been in the eyes of Christ
Hey God loves you! We have all sinned against God, but God in His love made a way for us to escape His wrath on our sin and that is through Jesus Christ. He came in the Flesh born of a Virgin, lived a perfect life, being tempted In every way as we are but never sinned, then willingly was beaten and crucified at the hands of ungodly men for the punishment for our sin so that we could by His blood be forgiven and He rose again 3 days later to justify those who put there trust in Him and He is now sitting at the right hand of God as our High Priest and He is coming back soon! I encourage you if you dont know Him to repent (change the way you think) and put your faith in Jesus. It's by His grace, through faith in His name that we are saved! His Holy Spirit will come and make His home in you and give you a new heart and rebirth your spirit. Look to Jesus!
@@cwm1390 rubbish....are you a dog? safe? yep wing suits are safe.....some people, really. If he wants to fly good luck to him, but the dog had no say in the matter.
I skydived a few times in college. It was static line jumping, but solo (tandem wasn't yet a thing). That was as much control over my survival that I ever wanted to release, even though I believe in an afterlife.
I hope this criminal base jumper didn't damage any rocks or mountainside by flying into it. I hope the park system sues his estate for the cost of cleaning his body off the mountain and repairing any damage caused to the mountain. Such negligent criminals should pay the full price of their criminal acts.
People who wore masks even outdoors are not living a full life; they are merely surviving while dominated by irrational fear. But guys like this are on the other extreme end of the spectrum.
his dog wasnt with him and he was a great person he really cared for nature and other people he was part of the second wave of the great yosemite climbers he derserves more respect than that
+Will Anderson If he really cared about his pet he wouldnt jump with him. I would die for my pets but I would never risk their lives with me lol they're like my kids.
@@deadfuckingpool4927 You would die for a pet... OKAY BUDDY, idk how worthless you think your human life is but trust me it's more valuable then an animals. Sure you can love a pet with all of your heart but taking your life for one is a little to far.
I personally don't understand adrenalin junkies. They're trying to fill up some empty place inside with the rush-high that danger provides. And for those guys who crave breathtaking action - grow up. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and rent a movie. The notion that fear is always something to overcome is ridiculous. I'm afraid of fire. So am I supposed to conquer it by walking into a burning building? Get real.
As far as I know every human has or will go where he has gone. Except he chose his way in more detail than most of others. Stop making a hero out of a psychopath.
@Thomas Watvedt Depends if you think working in a cubical reflects into a dream or flying and soring like a bird is more a dream.... If you pick the cubical, you know the rest of that boring outcome ;)
No way. FACT: Only people's body are sitting in the cubicle all day. Their minds are off on some out of body experience, doing other things they enjoy most. To bring them back, all you have to do is shake them on the shoulder and say: "Is that report ready yet".
Everyone has their own life choices. For Dean potter his life choice was great and for people who chose simple life sitting in cubicle their life choice is great. Nothing is less.
Diane Evans no because simply he's done legendary thing's watch the Yosemite documentary.. Dude was crazy did some risky things no one else would dare..
xXP1LLZxX ok and if that makes someone a legend then it is a sad world we live in. why don't we have legends that make a difference in our world instead of people dying from a stunt that can kill you and eventually DID kill many??
***** i'm angry because we are supposed to be responsible and sensible human beings! yea, right , he may be a legend to you, but i don't know anyone that has even heard of him. Superhuman? LOL, why because he base jumped? Bravery is a word you know nothing about! Men and women who risk their lives to save others are brave, this guy was an idiot!
@@PInk77W1 You just ignored everything Potter did before he died. In other words you judged him by how he died instead of how he CHOSE to live. Maybe you'll understand that one day.
@@PInk77W1 Did you even watch the video? Dean Potter was one of two killed in his last wing suit flight off of Half Dome. He had apparently done 600 wing suits jumps and was also a very good free solo climber. He did take a parachute for the latter part of his life. But he liked living on the edge and ultimately paid for it as some thrill seekers often do. He did what he enjoyed doing and did not harm anyone in his endeavors that we know of.
At least he died doing what he loved for me I need to take care of my aging mom and I want to enjoy my senior years what's left ,we need to enjoy the simple things on life nature friends and family take care everyone.😃
Great point Joe. I have a guy who delivers to my business every day. He hates his job but he is good at it and he puts food on the table. He is the hero.
Yet 150 MILLION Americans, many with young kids, choose death via bad eating habits and sedentary life. I have far more respect for Potter than ubiquitous porkers.
@@Mrbfgray That's a very obtuse attempt at making a comparison. If one has responsibilities to family, community and society in general you should not actively exit the planet.
@@joephysics5469 Lounging with French fries and doughnuts IS *actively exiting* , only diff is:::: it's EASY, common and accepted today by those manipulated by advertising and corporate media drama. Most of us unfortunately to one degree or another.
@@Mrbfgray Do you try to find a way to bring the American diet into every conversation? Part of the reason I retired was that I had to deal with obesity on an every day basis. But I never had to deal with base jumpers. They either went home or never made it to me alive. That's natural selection for ya.
When I see these people having no respect for life, I think in all the people fighting or losing their lives over illnesses, faith, etc... oh! and so unfair on the dog also... :(
Doing risky things does not equal having no respect for life, some might even argue that thrill seekers value life more because they know well the dangers of what they do and that every moment of mountainclimbing, skidiving etc. my be their last moment.
@@kasvoeten6224 They value life so they risk it so bad that they think that what they do could killi them any time? no, I don't understand, it's like Russian roulette...
@@july1293 You pretend like they don't care about dying because they do risky stuff, that's a wrong correlation. Furthermore you named some people fighting for their life like cancer patients and how they're more worthy of life, even though some types of cancers are mainly self induced, by for example smoking. Those people in my opinion value life less, since they are literally killing themselves by execcisve drug use.
@@kasvoeten6224 You gave a good example, the one with smokers. Yeah! That's the same category of men; enjoy now - pay later! Staking your life. Actually, you confirmed what Ju Ly had said! That's showing a disrespect for life in both instances.
There is an interesting difference between those who choose to jump off a cliff and those who are thrown off a cliff by others. One is passion and the other is crime.
These folks have a calling -- moths to flames. They know and they need... I used to have falling dreams all through my childhood and into my twenties. Then, after college I started skydiving. I competed and participated in numerous big-way state record attempts. I no longer have falling dreams and it's been a good two decades since my last skydive. Although, I do occasionally have bouncing dreams. "Bounce," is a skydiving term for landing without an open parachute... In real life, it's fatal. In my dreams it's like getting hit by a bus. But, I live and usually get up and hobble back to the clubhouse to the astounding looks of witnesses. Odd those spinning wheels of the subconscious mind.
As long as we have cancer and heart attack we don't need other ways to die too soon. Having said that, wingsuit flying must be the greatest experience in a human's life. If I get to live 80 or sg I might even try it.
wait is no one else going to point out how unethical it is to strap your dog into the wingsuit with you? it's one thing to risk your own life, it's quite another to make your dog die with you if you mess up.
@@tatemcshane5632 Well, given that my form of fun is presumably very different from this guy's, it's rather an apple and oranges comparison. However, even if it could be somehow quantified that Mr. Wingsuit had significantly more fun in his unnecessarily truncated life than I'll ever have in mine, the fact remains that I'm still alive and he's not. I get to continue to marvel at the wonders of nature. I get to continue to drink saki and smoke pot. I get to continue to meet women at bars, and spend time with my friends and relatives. I get to continue to read about history, and watch idiotic kung fu movies. So YES, given that I and everyone else also have a fear of falling, I'd say ALL of us are much smarter at dealing with it by simply avoiding it, rather than completely overcompensating for it by risking premature doom on a regular basis. I do sympathize with their families for their loss, but I feel nothing for the actual individuals who get themselves killed practically on purpose.
@@hydng stfu, im guess lik he lived this life for ig 10years or so, died young, left family members, parents behind, gave depression to who know how many just he wanted to "live his life", thats being so selfish, prolly would have 50more years in this world, who know what we get when we die, it could be eternal suffering or darkness or a reincarnation, imagine being born in sum third world extremist country as a woman, lmao im good imma take all these life years i got, and enjoy em
Dean and graham killed themselves that night , dean's go pro showed it all they never should have jumped , there was a storm before that day so very high winds and low visibility due to being almost dark , they were supposed to fly left to El Capitan but as soon as both jumped the wind forced them both right where graham instantly hit a notch and went flying toward dean who tried to get out of the way and hit himself , the sounds were gnarly on his go pro ..I can see how dean's girl heard them hit it was very loud
“When she saw the blond hair, Mary thought, This isn't so bad. Then she looked down. She was standing in fat. She looked up. Body tissue hung in the trees. It was a mess, and now somebody had to clean it up. The spandex suit that Davis wore as a joke had kept her legs intact so that a pair of black-and-white-striped legs stuck out from a two-foot-deep crater the impact had made in the decomposed granite. The mind of the special agent on the scene produced an unavoidable comparison. The black-and-white-striped legs reminded him of the Wizard of Oz, when the Wicked Witch of the East was flattened by Dorothy's tornado-tossed house.” From the book Ranger Confidential
