It's a poor track record," park spokesman Scott Gediman said. "He was beside himself," said Gediman. [3] The parachutists, accompanied by rangers at the top of the peak, agreed to land in a designated area, be arrested and forfeit their equipment, then pursue their opposition to the ban in court. "I can't believe that the people who set up this jump would allow this to happen.". The tragic death of Dean Potter at Yosemite has renewed attention on the risks of BASE jumping and it's offshoot, wingsuit flying. "If only she had used her own gear, if she had only had her own gear," Sanders said over and over again, according to friends who tried to console him. A parachutist plunged to her death off Yosemites most forbidding peak Friday during a protest of park rules banning such jumps. I hope he goes down as a martyr regardless of the circumstances.. Simon jumped from 420 sites before an old service-related knee injury permanently grounded him. Even after the accident, he spoke in favor of BASE jumping, saying: "Have you ever looked over the edge of a tall building or a cliff and wondered what it would be like to jump off? Photo by Reenan Oztkurk. Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Dropping river levels on the Merced River allowed an increase in search efforts and actual entry into the river. At Yosemite, jumping from El Capitan. Fortunately, BASE jumpers can use modern, rectangular ram-air parachutes that give them greater control over their descent. After deploying a crew of 10 on the morning of July 7 with the assistance of a catamaran raft, search members found the victim at 5:50 p.m. Bookmarks are saved to your account and can be accessed from any device. In the early years of BASE jumping, fatalities were fairly consistent at about five per year. One ecologist even wrote a whole book about it in 2007 called Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite to warn people about taking necessary precautions. Acclaimed American free solo climber Brad Gobright died Wednesday attempting to descend down the side of a cliff face in El . 'Zero visibility' conditions: All roads to Tahoe are closed, My meal at this landmark SF spot was too expensive to be so bad, One of the largest movie theaters in SF to close permanently, 'Really cool sight': Rare waterspout forms in Northern California, Report: Matthew McConaughey has a massive Salesforce paycheck, Man shot dead near San Francisco Ferry Building, A different horse': Bay Area will likely continue to see rain, 'Life threatening': Tahoe braces for massive blizzard, 'Lady in the fridge' murder victim ID'd as Bay Area mother of 3, Snow shuts down over 70 miles of I-80 in Northern California, These East Bay gems are a haven for music lovers, Freezing temps into the 20s may soon hit parts of Bay Area. Four chutists leaped from the top of El Capitan in October 1999 in a protest intended to showcase the safety of BASE jumping. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Nationwide, an estimated 21 people have died jumping that way in the last 20 years. But the rock fall that killed one and injured another on Wednesday is a stark example of how the park claims lives each year. They fell while climbing the Freeblast. BASE jumpers continue to fight the National Park Service in court for access to El Capitan. BASE jumping pioneer Carl Boenish and his jump off Yosemite's El Capitan is looked at with SUNSHINE SUPERMAN documentary director, Marah Strauch. Nationwide, an estimated 21 people have died during BASE jumps in the last two decades. . A group of five climbed 3200-foot El Capitan Peak, while hundreds of people watched from below. All Rights Reserved. According to an article titled "Fell from El Capitan" in the June 10, 1905, Gazette Mariposan, Charles A. Bailey was "dashed to death" on June 5, 1905, while trying to make a "record climb up a cliff west of El Capitan.". A veteran parachutist plunged to her death off one of this park's most spectacular granite monoliths during a protest intended to show that such jumps can be done safely. Friday, Gambalie's mother joined about 150 people, including the five jumpers' families and friends, in what was supposed to be a carefully staged demonstration. On Saturday evening, May 16, BASE jumpers Dean Potter and Graham Hunt died after attempting a wingsuit flight from Taft Point, a 7,500-foot promontory that overlooks Yosemite Valley and El. Everybody thought it was okay and then people said 'Open up! Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital BASE student J.C. Brown says the sport helps him to "feel alive." He wound up at the University of California at Davis and followed that up with law school in Georgia. . It was the first BASE jumping. W&P Porter bowl review: A container that makes office 10 beach essentials to pack for a spring break vacation, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Once he . "That goes in the irony department.". 4. He was 43. Davis was reportedly using a borrowed parachute for the jump because she didn't want her own confiscated, witnesses said. On the borrowed suit, the cord was on her leg. FBI agents share never-before-heard details of deadly Waco siege She was an experienced sky diver. After calling his father to say it was the happiest day of his life, Parker decided to climb Matthes Crest alone. That's the number of people who have been killed because of an off-heading opening. Both men sustained broken bones from the jump. BASE jumping with wingsuits adds a more thrilling and dangerous level of flight An estimated 275 people have died BASE jumping since 1981 CNN Why would a perfectly sane person parachute. "There's a lot of careless packing. . She was protesting the illegality of BASE jumping at Yosemite. The confiscation of equipment by police is a powerful threat against BASE jumpers, Simon said, because the specialized gear can easily cost more than $1,500. ", Parachutist's Death Leaves Her Peers With Grief, Anger / Jumpers debate Yosemite tragedy, 'Zero visibility' conditions: All roads to Tahoe are closed, My meal at this landmark SF spot was too expensive to be so bad, One of the largest movie theaters in SF to close permanently, 'Really cool sight': Rare waterspout forms in Northern California, Report: Matthew McConaughey has a massive Salesforce paycheck, Man shot dead near San Francisco Ferry Building, A different horse': Bay Area will likely continue to see rain, 'Life threatening': Tahoe braces for massive blizzard, 'Lady in the fridge' murder victim ID'd as Bay Area mother of 3, Snow shuts down over 70 miles of I-80 in Northern California, These East Bay gems are a haven for music lovers, Freezing temps into the 20s may soon hit parts of Bay Area. Franks virtues shined through. Tripadvisor names the world's top 25 beaches, three in the U.S. CDC warns drug-resistant stomach bug a "serious public health threat", FBI agents share never-before-heard details of deadly Waco siege. wrote a BASE jumper. Before 145,000 spectators, his daughter and his old El Capitan jumping partner, Schubert leaped off a bridge to his death. The 60-year-old Santa Barbara woman's parachute never opened during the 3,600-foot drop from the top of El Capitan, where she was the fourth of five BASE jumpers protesting a National Park Service ban on the sport. This wouldnt have been her first choice on gear, Conkright said. Tucker: No country can survive this. How We Can Stop Earthquakes From Killing People Before They Even Hit, The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. The rocks landed in El Capitan's talus slope, a rocky pile of debris at the cliff's base, and did not reach the road. As hundreds of park visitors - including her husband - watched from the meadow, a veteran parachutist plunged to her death from the top of Yosemite's El Capitan during a protest intended to showcase the safety of the sport. Bailey, 50, a real estate dealer from Oakland, was no stranger to . Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news. This was an unfortunate end to this incident. He suspects that, in the instant adrenaline rush that accompanies a leap of such magnitude, Davis may have simply forgotten the location of the cord. Michael Pelkey and Brian Schubert made the first BASE jump from El Capitan on July 24, 1966. Davis, who was a partner in her husband's aerial stunt photography and adventure travel business, Aerial Focus, was an experienced jumper. If they are caught at the park, said Gediman, jumpers are arrested, get a $2,000 fine and have their parachutes, often worth as much as $3,000, confiscated. "She died doing what she loved to do." said a posting by "Da Crip.". Simon said that leg-pull rip cords are almost unheard of among BASE jumpers. She and her husband, Hollywood stunt photographer Tom Sanders, led adventure expeditions to the falls. 1999-10-25 04:00:00 PDT YOSEMITE -- Friday's fatal plunge by parachutist Jan Davis during a protest of Yosemite's ban on stunt diving from El Capitan caused anger, grief and recrimination over the weekend among the elite community of daredevils known as BASE jumpers. She was using borrowed gear, and failed to notice that the deployment handle was located at the hip, and not atop her buttocks like she was used to. Nationwide, an estimated 21 people have died during so-called BASE jumps - the acronym for buildings, antennae, spans and earth - in the last 20 years. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, L.A. County residents without power since Friday ask why the city cant do better, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. Widow of the 'Father' of BASE Jumping Speaks About Her Husband's Life - and Tragic Death . On Friday, Davis was part of a group calling themselves Adventure Athletes, who arranged the protest, which they called "civil disobedience" in their press release. The first three jumps shortly before 2 p.m. went without a hitch, said Scott Gediman, the park spokesman, who stood in the meadow with more than 200 onlookers. Everybody thought it was OK, and then people said, Open up! As of February 2015, there have been 250 recorded fatalities that are directly attributed to Base jumping. This is true for many of Yosemite's cliffs and large features. Jan Davis was the last jumper and did not survive due to a lack of familiarity with her borrowed chute. The natural wonders of Yosemite National Park are so striking that its possible to forget that a visit to the park can turn deadly. BASE-jumper Dean Potter dies after leaping off cliff Yosemite's El Capitan climb in pictures: US climbers complete historic They were reportedly training for a speed ascent of the rock formation . Magazines, Digital #inline-recirc-item--id-91ea120a-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { One by one, the parachutists jumped over the edge, pulled their ripcord, and floated safely to the valley floor. Runtime: 56 min - Watch It Now Exactly as the title implies, the El Cap Report is an hour-long film that documents the journeys of the inspiring men and women who climb El Cap in Yosemite National Park.. Told through the creative lens of directors Dave Davis and Mary Grandelis, who spent many years hanging out at the base of El Capitan collecting these beautiful and unique stories of the non . 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Davis was known as the "First Lady of Angel Falls," because she was the first woman parachutist to jump the 3,200-foot Venezuelan waterfall. "Regardless of how wrong NPS policies are, they are NOT to blame for Frank's death . El Capitan has a controversial history regarding BASE jumping, and the National Park Service has effectively banned the practice. Both sides have tried to find middle ground on the issue after rangers who staked out a landing area tried to capture Frank Gambalie III in June. An American BASE jumper died while jumping in Turkey this week, the extreme sport's third superstar fatality this year. Here are 10 you cant miss, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Long Beach residents stymie plan for shelter; they say it wasnt about the homeless people, Linda Kasabian, Charles Manson follower who helped send him to prison, dies at 73, L.A. County agrees to $28.85-million settlement with Bryant family over crash photos, L.A. County moves to require quake retrofits as Turkey-Syria death toll exceeds 50,000, Column: As help pours in for World War II vet, 102, with huge bill, SoCalGas wants a rate hike. His death was senseless, said Adam Filippino, a friend of Gambalies and president of Consolidated Rigging, a manufacturer of BASE jumping equipment. var obConfig = { footer: '' }; What is your prediction for precipitation totals this winter season? This video shows what was going on at the base or El Capitan during the protest. "With all the so- called planning that went into this, why was common sense thrown out the window?" Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? "She was one of my heroes," said Chris Conkright, a photographer who worked with Davis' husband. Brad Parker, 36, fell to his death while rock climbing mere hours after his girlfriend accepted his marriage proposal in the park. In 1980, soon after skydiver and BASE pioneer Carl Boenish filmed some of the earliest jumps from El Capitan, Yosemite officials agreed to a trial period, issuing up to 12 daily permits,. The odds of dying in any Base jumping activity is 1 in 2,317. During the 1970s and with better equipment and training, many . And according to Thompson, at the moment, the future of BASE jumping in Yosemite looks bleak. Modern day climbing legend Dean Potter, 43, has died in a BASE jumping accident in Yosemite National Park. Michael Pelkey and Brian Schubert made the first BASE jump from El Capitan on July 24, 1966. Ammon McNeely, an American rock climber, has the most world records for speed climbing and the first one-day ascents of Yosemite's El Capitan. "This is a tragic affair," said Bill Dause of the Parachute Center in Lodi. According to The Independent, the daredevil was the Extreme BASE Jump World Championship Spain 2010 champion.He'd been filmed flying through a ring of fire for GoPro's YouTube.When he flew through a two-meter hole in a rock formation, a stunt that might have killed a lesser mortal, he did so four times to have . The parachute can open, take a 180-degree turn, and there's a cliff behind you. The acronym stands for the leaping-off point: a building, antenna, span or the Earth. The jumps, which are illegal, were made in cooperation with park authorities. The jumpers pulled open their chutes almost immediately, he said, and spread their arms like soaring eagles as they floated through the clear sunny sky to the meadow. People dying while visiting the park has been well-documented since recording began nearly 170 years ago, though. Nationwide, an estimated 21 people have died jumping that way in the last 20 years. AI: Leftist Garbage In, Garbage Out - Look what they say . You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Carl Boenish is honored as the "Father of Modern BASE jumping" because he and his small group were the first to apply ram-air parachutes and tracking techniques on jumps from stationary objects. In 2015, he died in a wingsuit flying accident in Yosemite National Park. I wondered and now I know what it's like: You're dead and all of a sudden you're alive again. First base jump for two of us.. In 1980 the National Park Service experimented with issuing BASE-jumping permits. "This is a prime directive in skydiving. Here are some of the most notable recent deaths that have taken place at Yosemite, due to a wide range of accidents. BASE jumping is the sport of parachuting from a fixed point, such as a cliff or structure. I thought Sean Leary had similarly cracked the code. "This was their national showcase to show how safe BASE jumping is," said Gediman. "There's so much that can go wrong with BASE jumping - packing the parachute for one," said John Chapman of Skydive San Francisco, located in Cloverdale, Sonoma County. He . She was 60. I . "It is sad that we lost her, but the fact is that this will impact our chances in the (national) park forever," said a BASE jumping supporter who posted his thoughts on BLiNC, a Web magazine for enthusiasts of the sport. You don't ever, ever borrow chutes," said Robert Simon, a former Army paratrooper now living in Marin County, who was a pioneer of BASE jumping. Friday's demonstration was in response to that jumper's death, and was meant to demonstrate the safety of the sport known as BASE jumping - which is parachuting off stationary objects, like mountains, bridges, skyscrapers. Trending News Renowned rock climber Dean Potter, 43, died while BASE jumping off Taft Point in 2015. The event is considered the birth of the modern era of BASE jumping. Potter was a fixture in the valley for the last 20 years, famous for being the first person to free-climb both El Capitan and Half Dome in one day. It is illegal to BASE jump in Yosemite Park, as it is nearly everywhere in the country, but the height and sheer wall of El Capitan and the beauty of the park has been a magnet for BASE jumpers, who brave the stunt in poor lighting conditions to avoid rangers. Gambalie was an experienced BASE jumper, which stands for Building Antennae Span Earth who had over 600 unscathed BASE jumps to his credit and was considered one of the best jumpers in the world. In the meadow was Davis' husband, Tom Sanders, an aerial stunt photographer whose credits include James Bond movies and pictures of ex-President George Bush sky diving. Jan Davis, 60, was one of five jumpers who planned to leap from the top of 3,200-foot El Capitan in the Friday protest, organized in response to the June 9 death of a man who parachuted off the same peak, only to drown in the river below while fleeing park rangers. Over the weekend there was a tragedy at the annual Bridge Day Jump off West Virginia's New River Gorge Bridge. The slide released about 1,000 to 2,000 cubic yards of rock, Gediman said. Davis was jumping with borrowed gear because she did not want her own to be confiscated by the park rangers waiting to arrest her on the valley floor, witnesses said. In . The story of the "hot blode" who didn't pull her rip cord. Jan Davis, a 60-year-old Santa Barbara resident, was the fourth of five jumpers in the protest, which was organized in response to the June 9 drowning death of a jumper who successfully parachuted off El Capitan, only to drown in the river below while trying to flee rangers. The body of Frank P. Gambalie III, the Squaw Valley resident who eluded park rangers after BASE jumping off El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, was found on Wednesday, July 7. BASE jumping is currently a federal statute Class B misdemeanor in the national parks, something that enrages many jumpers. Let's dive deep to learn more details regarding Ammon Mcneely death. While the cause of the accident is not yet publicly known, it appears that Davis -- knowing that her costly parachute would have been confiscated by park rangers -- jumped with borrowed gear whose rip cord was at the jumper's leg, rather than on the chute's backpack. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. #inline-recirc-item--id-91ea120a-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-91ea120a-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { BASE jumping is not a good idea here. We give them a citation for illegal air delivery and the U.S. magistrate sets the fine, traditionally about $2,000, said Scott Gediman, a park spokesman. BASE jumping was legal in the park for a trial period in 1980, but restrictions on when people could jump and the number of jumps per day were routinely violated, so the activity was banned. These custom parachutes can cost $1,500 or more. Disturbing Footage of Protesters Being Struck By Vehicle In Charlottesville, Cop Shoots Protestor Point Blank with Bean Bag Bullet, 34 Funny Memes Stolen From the Meme Factory, 30 Awful Lifehacks You Probably Shouldn't Try, Dude Gets Trapped in Deadly Corn Silo and Is Surprisingly Chill About It. "Frank would not have jumped into the raging Merced River and Jan would not have jumped El Capitan with borrowed gear had it not been for continuing persecution of BASE jumpers by the National Park Service. One of the men with Boenish on the jump was Southern California photographer David Blattel, who said of Boenish in a 1984 interview in the Daily Breeze, "I don't . If she had only had her own gear, Sanders said over and over again, according to friends who tried to console him. The group had disregarded safety fences and signs and were reportedly having fun in the area before two slipped into the water and a third tried to save them. Potter knew the long history of enforcement at Yosemite. The park agreed to work with the group to ensure the safety of park visitors who would be in the vicinity of the landing zone, he said. The impact of the 162,000 tons of rock was roughly equivalent to the strength of a 2.15-magnitude earthquake, Witnesses said it took nearly 45 minutes for the dust to settle so recovery efforts could begin. At Yosemite, jumping from El Capitan. Jan Davis, 60, was one of five jumpers who planned to leap from the top of 3,200-foot El Capitan in the Friday protest, organized in response to the June 9 death of a man who parachuted off. And many are just freak accidents reminders that venturing into the wild always has dangers associated with it. That's why it's illegal.". She hit the talus below at over 120 mph. These legal jumps resulted in no major injuries or fatalities. Davis had arranged to be arrested by park rangers, the first step in a process intended to challenge in court the ban on BASE jumping in Yosemite National Park. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I have always heard, Sancho, that doing good to base fellows is like throwing water into the sea.Miguel De Cervantes (15471616), Unwind, hands,you angel webs,unwind like the coil of a jumping jack,cup together and let yourselves fill up with sunand applaud, world,applaud.Anne Sexton (19281974). However, some jumpers exhibited significant disregard for the park's rules and the environment. Friday, Gambalies mother joined about 150 people, including the five jumpers families and friends, in what was supposed to be a carefully staged demonstration that such jumps can be made safely. Another writer bitterly attacked the National Park Service, blaming rangers for Davis' death and that of Frank Gambalie III, who drowned June 9 while fleeing rangers who were attempting to confiscate his parachute. The 3,000-foot-high overhang from which he took his final leap looks directly out at those two iconic slabs of rock. BASE jumping is currently illegal according to park service laws. Occurred 10/22/99. Dean Spaulding Potter (April 14, 1972 - May 16, 2015) was an American free climber, alpinist, BASE jumper, and highliner. People are devastated by hearing the news of Ammon Mcneely death. Four people - three Yosemite tourists and an employee - were murdered this year, and other sports adventurers have died including a parachutist who drowned June 9 while trying to elude park rangers. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Maritime Police chief Paulo Agostinho said the German base jumper fell around 310 feet and confirmed the man he jumped with was a Portuguese friend. The danger of the extreme sport of jumping off buildings, antennas, spans and cliffs has led the National Park Service to ban such jumps. The Yosemite protesters apparently chose to use expendable older gear, which jumpers call "trash bags.". The height of the cliff meant the dead man . "The NPS policy is not likely to change. All Rights Reserved. Two things related to BASE jumping deaths: 1 - BASE jumping does not get safer with more experience. Rangers have arrested anyone caught jumping off El Capitan, seized their equipment and put them in the. Nearby hikers described the horrifying scene of seeing the three people swept over the ridge. Then the whole place turned quiet," said Paul Sakuma, an Associated Press photographer. "To stand there, literally filming your wife plunging to her death, is just horrible.". Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? 1999 The Associated Press. El Capitan has a controversial history regarding BASE jumping, and the National Park Service has effectively banned the practice. Witnesses said her husband, photographer Tom Sanders, who was shooting the jump, slumped onto his camera in grief after watching her fall around 2 p.m. "If only she had used her own gear; if she had only had her own gear," he said repeatedly, according to friends. The acronym stands for Buildings, Antennae, Span and Earth -- the fixed points from which jumpers make their leaps. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid, Fiery train crash in Greece kills at least 36, injures some 85, House select committee hearing paints China as a strategic antagonist, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Vanessa Bryant, family settles claims over Kobe crash site photos for $28.5M, Three officers shot, standoff follows in Kansas City, Mo., police say, JetBlue flight forced to abort landing in close call at Logan Airport, Bald eagle couple lays new egg after losing eaglets two years in a row, Report finds FBI, Capitol Police didn't share "credible threats" before Jan. 6, Americans sweat Supreme Court ruling on student debt plan. and our BASE jumping is currently illegal according to park service laws. Americans sweat Supreme Court ruling on student debt plan The earlier jumps, under a beautiful blue sky, were flawless, according to Riccarda Mescola, Gambalies mother, who was on the phone with the AP when Davis chute failed to open. He slumped onto his camera in grief after watching his wife fall. Flying in base jumping does not provide for a reserve parachute, because the fall time is so minimal that there is no time to deploy it. Then . 2. 1 of 5 The view of El Capitan from the Yosemite Valley floor on February 26, 2016, in Yosemite, CA.The new concessionaire for Yosemite National Park is Aramark which won a bid for the 15 year . This was her first choice on gear that you would surrender to the rangers.. October 23, 1999 / 2:46 PM She didn't have to jump in it. She landed on Talus Slope, a huge pile of granite rocks at El Capitan's base caused by landslides. Six jumpers have died in Yosemite, said Gediman. Both men sustained broken bones from the jump. She jumped in full view of 150 spectators, who included dozens of reporters and photographers and her husband. . By then, he'd had enough of . And according to Thompson, at the moment, the future of BASE jumping in Yosemite looks bleak. Officials at California's Yosemite National Park confirmed Saturday that two climbers had fallen to their death while scaling the El Capitan monolith. The protest was organized in response to the death of Frank Gambalie III, who drowned in the Merced River on June 9 while trying to escape from park police after a jump. Some deaths result from climbing accidents, while others take place when visitors take their own safety for granted. Someone Brought A Boston Dynamics Robot Dog To A Strip Club, Put On Stage, Stripped Gives It A Lapdance. Three people in their twenties fell to their deaths together in the cascade of the 317-foot Vernal Fall. Does anyone here remember the old system of "El Capitan BASE Numbers?" As we know, BASE was 'legal' off El Cap only for a brief, glorious moment in the summer of 1980; Alas. The extreme sport of jumping from fixed objects like cliffs or buildings is so dangerous that the National Park Service has banned such stunts. Funeral services for Frank P. Gambalie III will be tomorrow at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, located at 3351 Contra Loma Blvd., Antioch, Calif. El Cap is a 3,000ft sheer rock face in Yosemite, California, and he climbed it without a rope. And then she jumped. They had not opened their parachutes. Also, since BASE jumpers do not have time to open a second chute from such low altitudes, she had no backup, said Chris Conkright, an employee of Aerial Focus, the Santa Barbara-based aerial cinematography company she and her husband ran. Privacy Policy. The NPS policy is not likely to change. In this Monday, Nov. 15, 2010 photo provided by Tomas Ovalle, extreme athlete Dean Potter stands in front of El Capitan after a speed climbing attempt up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park . , were made in cooperation with park authorities to fight the National Service. Accepted his marriage proposal in the last 20 years have taken place at Yosemite place. 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