In a new YouTube video, one record-setting California BASE jumper and rock climber proves extreme sports aren’t just for man — they’re for his best friend as well.
Yosemite National Park resident, aviation and aerospace student Dean Potter introduced the world to its first BASE-jumping dog in the video, which shows Whisper strapped to Potter’s back from the perspective of his GoPro camera as the two plummet off the 13,000-foot peak of the Eiger in Switzerland.
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However not all of the 100,000-plus YouTubers approved of the stunt, and the UK-based animal welfare organization RSPCA told the Independent that, “Although both the dog and owner land safely, being strapped to a person’s back and dropped by parachute is likely to be a cause of significant stress and fear for the dog.”
But Potter disagreed in a blog post, insisting that Whisper would have it no other way.
“I just want to let you all to know that we do everything possible to keep Whisper super safe, well beyond the equivalent safety of a human being in the same scenario,” Potter wrote. “Last summer when I was wingsuit BASE jumping with Whisper, she never once didn’t want to come along. In fact, whenever I put on my wingsuit or pack my parachute, little Whisper nestles close and begs to come along.”