Extreme athlete Dean Potter dies in BASE jumping accident

Extreme athlete Dean Potter, renowned for his bold and sometimes rogue climbs and BASE jumps, was among two people who were killed while attempting a wingsuit flight in Yosemite National Park, a park spokesman said Sunday.

Someone called for help late Saturday after losing contact with Potter, 43, and his climbing partner, Graham Hunt, 29. They had jumped from a 7,500-foot promontory called Taft Point, park ranger Scott Gediman said.

He said a search-and-rescue team looked for the men overnight but couldn't find them. On Sunday morning, a helicopter crew spotted their bodies in the Yosemite Valley.

No parachutes had been deployed.

BASE jumping, in which someone parachutes from a fixed structure or cliff, is illegal in Yosemite.

Potter and Hunt, who lived near Yosemite, were prominent figures in the park's climbing community, Gediman said.

"This is a horrible incident, and our deepest sympathies go out to their friends and family," Gediman said. "This is a huge loss for all of us."

Potter is famous 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.