Daredevil Who Did the Unthinkable at Everest Is Dead

Leaping from a 22,349-foot-high mountain proved to be as dangerous as it sounds for Valery Rozov: The Russian base jumper died Saturday in an accident on Himalayan peak Ama Dablam. The AFP reports Rozov's death came while he was undertaking a "seven summits" quest that involved base jumping from each continent's highest peak. Ama Dablam is located in the Everest region. As for Everest, he had previously conquered it. USA Today reported on his 2013 feat, which involved him jumping from its north face at 23,688 feet in a custom wingsuit and hitting a speed of 125mph before landing on a glacier at 19,521 feet. The Washington Post notes it took four days to climb to the exit point, where the temperature was zero degrees Fahrenheit.

The jump was one that took Rozov two years to prepare for and set a record that he broke three years later when jumping from Mount Cho Oyu along the China-Nepal border at an even higher 25,250 feet. As for what took the 52-year-old's life on Saturday, the Himalayan Times quotes someone with ties to his expedition as saying he crashed into a cliff during a jump. His body was reportedly recovered by helicopter the next day. Red Bull, which had partnered with Rozov since 2004, notes that he leaves behind a wife and sons. It characterized him as "strong in spirit, professional, modest, full of energy, an eternal dreamer who was forever burning with new ideas and projects." (Read about another daredevil—one who climbed Everest in shorts.)