Dean Potter, who has died aged 43, was one of the most famous extreme sports enthusiasts in the world, who admitted the risks of his activities in a 2012 interview.

"You're obsessed with something that could kill you", he said of BASE jumping - the sport in which participants jump from a fixed point on building, aerial, (bridge) span or earth.

Potter died along with climbing partner Graham Hunt in an accident in California's Yosemite National Park, apparently attempting one of the body-suit assisted parachute jumps which he referred to as 'human body flying', from a 3,000 foot cliff.

He was well known as a personality and athlete in the rock-climbing and parachuting community, a controversial figure who was known for bold solo rock climbing ascents, slacklining crossings of prominent locations, skydiving and base jumping.

Although he achieved legendary status in the jumping and climbing counterculture, he was dropped by his sponsor clothing company Patagonia in 2006 after an outcry over a solo ascent of Delicate Arch, in Arches National Park, Utah, a national natural treasure and symbol of the state, but insisted his actions had been legal and respectful.

He also faced criticism from animal rights campaigners for his habit of taking his dog Whisper on jumps and climbs with him, with videos posted online showing the Australian cattle dog goggled and strapped into his backpack as he hurtled towards the ground in a wing suit.

He referred to her as his 'wing girl' and the dog reportedly helped him adapt to a degree of hearing loss. Although she accompanied him on nearly every jump, Whisper did not apparently join him for his fatal drop on Saturday. An extreme sports website has listed Potter's girlfriend Jennifer Rapp and Whisper as survivors of the incident.

Potter knew Yosemite well. He first came to prominence in the climbing and base-jumping community in the late 1990s, tackling some of the USA's biggest cliffs and climbs without ropes. He climbed three quarters of the way up Half Dome one of Yosemite's most famous rock faces in four hours, an incredible 16 hours faster than the previous fastest ascent. Later he became the first person to free climb both Half Dome and the vertical rock formation El Capitan in less than 24 hours.

In 2008, he climbed the challenging Deep Blue Sea route on the Eiger in Switzerland, without any equipment but a parachute. He set a record in 2009 for the longest time spent in the air on a base jump, when he leapt from the north face of the Eiger, in a wingsuit, landing 2 minutes and 50 seconds later. National Geographic named him the Adventurer of the Year, in response.

In the course of his obsession, Potter learned about the aerodynamics of flight - human and avian - and space flight.

He always disputed that the activities he took part in were 'stunts' or that he carried them through for the adrenaline rush. Instead, he said that taking part in risky and challenging pursuits helped him achieve clarity and focus, a sort of refined mindfulness which could not be achieved in other ways and made the danger worthwhile.

He also defended his often illegal activities - base-jumping is against the law in every US national park - on the basis that he wanted to influence others to get out of their cars and experience the natural world. Friends pointed out that Potter was a highly gifted athlete, despite his public persona of a daredevil, prepared to go further than others were willing to. He was known as safety conscious but also knew the risks he was taking and talked about attempting to stack the odds in his favour.

However he contrasted his activities with other aspects of modern life, saying "there is nothing fake about it".

During their fatal Base jump Potter and 29 year-old Hunt wore wingsuits, skin tight suits with batwing sleeves and a flap between their legs to slow their descent and enable them to glide, before opening their parachutes. However there are reports that the two failed to pass safely over a notch in the rock while leaping from Yosemite's Taft Point, and rescuers who recovered their bodies on Sunday revealed that their parachutes had failed to open.

Three weeks ago Potter posted on Instagram: "I'm still injury free after over 30-years of pursuing some of the most dangerous outdoor arts known to man, knock on wood and will continue to take the necessary precautions to stack the odds in my favor in order to live a long and happy life."

If that seemed prescient another posting on the social media site suggested why he continued to take risks: "Somehow I've made a life of dipping my toes in icy water, feeling the lift of fresh clean air, and the pull of planets overhead," he wrote.