Dean Potter, a pioneer in extreme sports, was among two people who were killed in a wingsuit accident in Yosemite National Park this weekend, a park spokesman said Sunday. BASE jumping is reportedly illegal in Yosemite.

Potter and his climber partner, Graham Hunt, 29, crashed after they jumped from a 7,500-foot promontory called Taft Point, park ranger Scott Gediman reportedly said. The incident reportedly took place on Saturday following which a search-and-rescue operation was launched. The bodies of the two were reportedly spotted on Sunday in Yosemite Valley.

"This is a horrible incident, and our deepest sympathies go out to their friends and family," Gediman said, according to the Associated Press (AP). "This is a huge loss for all of us.

Park authorities are trying to curtail BASE jumping, which is essentially parachuting from a fixed structure or cliff. Authorities reportedly said that neither of the men had deployed a parachute during their jump on Saturday.

Potter, 43, was famous for his BASE jumps and was the first to free-climb both El Capitan and Half Dome in 24 hours. He was also renowned for his high-risk parachute jumps while being accompanied by his dog, Whisper.

"We are very sad about Dean Potter's death but not very surprise," Climber Doug Robinson told BBC World Service Radio. "He was pushing the envelope all his life in climbing and then in BASE jumping and wingsuit flying."

In 2006, Potter drew criticism for reportedly doing a "free solo" climb of Utah's iconic Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. He was slammed by outdoor clothing company Patagonia, which dropped its sponsorship of him, saying his actions "compromised access to wild places and generated an inordinate amount of negativity in the climbing community and beyond," AP reported.

In his defense Potter reportedly said that his intention was to inspire people to "get out of their cars and experience the wild with all their senses."

On Sunday, Patagonia posted a tribute message on its Twitter account.

Mike Gauthier, Yosemite’s chief of staff, said Sunday, according to the New York Times: "Dean was part of this community and had such an impact on climbing. He was a luminary and in the pantheon of climbing gods."

In an October 2014 blog posted on his website, Potter wrote that he was aware of the dangers of his sport.

"Though sometimes I have felt like I'm above it all and away from any harm, I want people to realize how powerful climbing, extreme sports or any other death-consequence pursuits are," he wrote, according to AP. "There is nothing fake about it whether you see it in real life, on YouTube or in a glamorous commercial."

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