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Comment by mikehawkins | Hacker News Reader

I'm in total awe of what wingsuit guys can do - but I'm torn. Part of me also thinks this was pretty selfish on their part. They went where it was illegal, had an accident, and then have to Yosemite search and rescue conduct a pretty dangerous and expensive rescue operation to recover their bodies.

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He was always looking to break the boundaries though and that included rules. Very sad news but the risk is what it makes it all so compelling.

so sad :(

Most everything people do is selfish. But I wouldn't say they really put out the search and rescue team. They are employed to do this stuff and the training is also dangerous. Many selfish ways to get into trouble/die in the park.

I found your comment to be offensive :)

I know you didn't mean it that way, but describing these guys as selfish seems to me to be so wrong and struck a nerve. They lived their lives purposefully and majestically, if tragically short. It's arbitrary that jumping from those cliffs is illegal, but climbing them or whatever is not. Any way you do it, S&R can be involved.

I think it's selfish and discriminatory of the US Parks to make "aerial delivery" illegal. Maybe if it wasn't illegal, these guys might have had more time to scope out their lines and work down to them. Maybe they'd still be alive.

Dean often lamented that his sport was illegal in the "land of the free" and that he had to go to Europe to practise it.

Maybe if it wasn't illegal, these guys would have gone somewhere where it is legal (Europe, you say?), have time to set up, and there would be a far better chance they'd still be alive.

Arbitrary or not, illegal is illegal, and people who repeatedly do illegal things are usually called career criminals.

Edit: OK, I think "career criminal" is inflammatory, but the guy still had the freedom to travel elsewhere.

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