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rwedgee
Ice climber
CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 4, 2015 - 09:47am PT
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http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/officials-puzzled-over-yosemite-jumpers-deaths/ar-BBlnyj7
Officials puzzled over Yosemite jumpers' death
FRESNO, Calif. — World-famous wingsuit flier Dean Potter had strapped his iPhone to the back of his head and hit record before jumping from a cliff in Yosemite National Park in what was to be an exhilarating flight through a V-shaped rocky formation — a route that left little margin for error.
Potter set the phone at this position to capture a video of his partner, Graham Hunt, behind and above him as the pair leaped off the granite diving board at Taft Point, 3,500 feet above the valley.
Twenty-two seconds later the video abruptly stops. The two were killed when they slammed into the ridgeline at 100 mph-plus attempting to soar through the notch in the rock formation called Lost Brother.
Through a records request, The Associated Press obtained investigation reports about the deadly flight on May 16. National Park Service investigators relied heavily on Potter's bashed iPhone, interviews and a series of rapid-fire photos taken by Potter's girlfriend, Jen Rapp, who stayed behind at the launch site as the spotter.
The investigation concluded the deaths were accidental, but despite the video and photos of the jump, officials consider the specific reason why they died a mystery. Investigators listed several possible contributing factors — including indecision, distraction, miscalculation and air turbulence — as the jumpers made split-second decisions.
Dean Potter: Potter, 43, renowned for his daring and sometimes rogue climbs and BASE jumps, and his climbing partner Graham Hunt, 29, were killed Saturday, May 16, 2015 after jumping from a 7,500-foot promontory called Taft Point in Yosemite National Park. Investigators have ruled the deaths of the two wingsuit fliers who died earlier this year in California’s Yosemite National Park as accidental, but the reasons why they died remain a mystery. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./Jackson Hole News&Guide via AP, File)© Provided by Associated Press Potter, 43, renowned for his daring and sometimes rogue climbs and BASE jumps, and his climbing partner Graham Hunt, 29, were killed Saturday, May 16, 2015 after jumping…Potter, 43, and Hunt, 29, were both experienced in the extreme sport of wingsuit flying, a dangerous offshoot of BASE jumping — an acronym for parachuting off buildings, antennas, spans such as bridges and Earth. They would glide frighteningly close to cliffs and trees, wearing the suits that have fabric stitched between the arms and body and between the legs, so jumpers spreading their limbs can stay aloft longer and control their path with subtle body movements.
In 2009, Potter made the longest known BASE jump — off the Eiger North Face in Switzerland. He remained in flight for 2 minutes and 50 seconds, earning him National Geographic's Adventurer of the Year title.
In his final flight, Potter stood with Hunt on the ledge in Yosemite. It was still light at 7:35 p.m. with hovering rainclouds, according to the investigation. Potter wore a red suit, while Hunt's was black and yellow. Hunt zipped his phone in his pocket, after trying unsuccessfully to text his girlfriend, who was waiting in the valley. Potter's iPhone video recording captured what sounded like him saying "Ready?"
Potter told Rapp that he planned to fly through the notch. If he lacked elevation, he would instead go around the ridgeline. Rapp snapped photos of Potter making the leap, followed closely by Hunt.
Seconds into flight, Rapp lost sight of them. Instead, she told investigators that she heard a "thwack" followed a second later by a "guuuuhhh." She shouted in their direction, hoping the noises were parachutes opening, not impacts of bodies. She didn't received the text Potter usually sent with the word "safe" to assure her that he had once again beaten the odds.
Dusk turned to darkness and desperation. Rapp drove to their agreed upon meeting place. Not finding the jumpers, she returned to Potter's nearby home, where she found Hunt's girlfriend.
"Are they OK? Have you talked to them?" Hunt's girlfriend asked. Rapp said she hadn't.
The two women at 10 p.m. went to the residence of Mike Gauthier, Yosemite's chief of staff and a friend of Potter. Gauthier urged the women to report the men missing and they made an emergency phone call. A dispatcher reported a woman calling, asking if any BASE jumpers had been arrested. Upon hearing a "no," the caller broke down crying.
A ground search that night turned up nothing, but a helicopter crew the next morning found their bodies.
Autopsies found that Potter had struck headfirst and that Hunt hit with the front of his body. Blood samples showed no drugs or alcohol for either man.
Investigators say Rapp's still photos show Hunt flying left, then right, then left and a final hard banking right before his impact. After Potter's iPhone was repaired, the video shows him a foot or two above the ground just before the video stopped. Park officials did not provide the video to the AP, saying it was in possession of Potter's family. Rapp declined an AP request for the photographs that she took.
An unnamed wingsuit flier investigators consulted estimated that Potter and Hunt had flown through the notch about five times, a path well known among wingsuit fliers as being dangerous.
The flier inspected both wingsuits for the park service and found no equipment flaws, the investigative reports said.
Among other things, they noted that Hunt may have been distracted by phone calls and texts he attempted immediately before jumping and that Potter may have seen his partner strike the ground and flinched, or he simply misjudged his elevation.
"No one but Potter and Hunt will every truly know what happened," investigators concluded.
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c wilmot
climber
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The park service loves to waste money on jobs and people that do absolutely nothing.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Wilmot, they had had to make sure that a crime had been committed in case the family
sued them for allowing a rock to jump in front of them.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Conflating Cecil & Whisper is ridiculous. However, I was no fan of Potter's choice to do that with (to) his dog.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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You should ask Whisper if he agrees with you.
What is written in the OP is very sad to me. Other's can't wait to jump in and brandish their opinions in reply, no matter how small they are.
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snakefoot
climber
Nor Cal
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here we go again. nothing new and now begins the debate about completely unrelated issues and the blooming personality wars
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Spiny Norman
Social climber
Boring, Oregon
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NPS is legally obligated to investigate.
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Wade Icey
Trad climber
www.alohashirtrescue.com
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cragman...despicable.
edit: though predictable.
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couchmaster
climber
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Dean posted: "Based on what the media and public have done with the Cecil the Lion case, I can only imagine what would have happened if Dean would have had Whisper along on that last flight."
They were both special, but you're right. I'd be much sadder if the pup passed on with Dean. Dean was amazing, and did some fantastic things, but the dog dying would have made it a terrible tragedy to me. Maybe the reverse would be true as well. It might be cause I've bonded so close to other dogs in the past. Whisper seemed real special to Dean, hard enough seeing just one of them pass on. I'd started a Whisper thread just before this one popped up: http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2665889/Whisper-the-wonder-dog
Good dog.
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c wilmot
climber
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I was not trying to be disrespectful to the jumpers- whom I thought were very inspirational people.
I just question the need for the NPS to investigate an illegal jump when they know nothing of BASE. As said- I did not find it surprising they dont know what happened- but they did spend money to come to that conclusion.
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Roots
Mountain climber
Tustin, CA
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Two deaths happened in their jurisdiction, of course they had to investigate. And yes, that cost money. If they "know nothing about" the activity (or whatever) then they would hire an expert(s).
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Other than cleanup duty.... What is there to really investigate? I do feel bad though for anyone who has to clean up an accident scene like that though. Those NPS guys sure earned their pay. But a lengthier investigation seems absurd given the known facts and witness accounts.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
Shitalkqua, WA
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"microburst: an intense, localized downdraft of air ..."
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zBrown
Ice climber
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I never met Mr. Potter, nor Whisper, but after viewing a large number of photos and video, I can feel comfortable with my conclusion that Mr. Potter never contemplated or envisioned shooting Whisper with a cross-bow and/or rifle.
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Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
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I met Dean and his Dog at Reeds. He wasn't nice.
Hey Bullwinkle, would you still encourage a best friend who wants to be a world famous daredevil and wingsuit basejumper? Would you say something encouraging to the next wannabe who tied his dog on for some wing suiting fun?
Quit. Idolizing. Dead. Daredevils.
Now i'm the dick, right? Whatever. On with the Body Count.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Dang dude, really?
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Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
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yep. That's how it is.
Stanley's kid was born with no dad. Sweet bros. Here's a free suit, Bro. It's great, Bro. We're doing it, Bro. Legendary, Bro.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Hey man, you can have you're opinion but you have to be one heartless sonofabitch to say that sh!t right after Dean tells you he lost his best friend.
Fukkin A Flip, activate the filter, you're nicer than that.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Other than cleanup duty.... What is there to really investigate?
Were they drunk, on drugs, depressed? Did someone mess with their gear?
Easy to draw conclusions, I mean think of all those black folks found hung in the South, who obviously committed suicide......
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