'Never leave the dog behind': Base jumper's touching tribute
One of the world’s best known base jumpers posted a touching tribute to his dog just hours before his tragic death.
Dean Potter, 43, died on Saturday while attempting to jump from Taft Point, a 2286 metre high cliff edge in Yosemite National Park.
His fellow jumper Graham Hunt, 29, was also killed.
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The extreme athlete posted a heartbreaking tribute to his pet blue heeler in his final instagram post before his death.
“Miss Whisper on the prowl... #NeverLeaveTheDogBehind,” he captioned the photo.
Potter nicknamed his side kick ‘winggirl’ because she was like his “wingman, but she’s a girl.”
“I spend more time with Whisper than I do with anybody else," he said.
While Whipser didn’t go with Potter on his most death-defying jumps she had accompanied him on many prior adventures.
It’s unclear whether the five-year-old old was with Potter when he died although it's believed she is still alive.
Yosemite park ranger Scott Gediman said Potter and Hunt's parachutes had not properly 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."
News break – May 19
