Authorities have revealed that a 73-year-old BASE jumper who died after leaping from an Idaho bridge, on the 7th of May, had set his parachute on fire as part of a stunt. A graphic video of the fatal jump, posted online earlier in the week, shows someone falling from Perrine Bridge while engulfed in flames.

James E Hickey had planned to ditch the flaming parachute, and deploy a second one before hitting Snake River 150 metres below. The YouTube video, which we have decided against posting, shows two jumpers climbing over the rail and leaping at the same time.

“One of the jumpers glides away to safety beneath a parachute, while the other falls quickly out of view engulfed in fire.”

One of the jumpers glides away to safety beneath a parachute, while the other falls quickly out of view engulfed in fire. The camera pans back to the river moments after the burning man hits the water. A boat quickly arrives on the scene, before the video cuts out.

On Monday, we reported on the tragic deaths of Dean Potter and Graham Hunt. Potter, a well-known adventurer, and Hunt were BASE jumping in California when they hit the rocks and died last week.

Sources suggest at least five people have died BASE jumping, since the start of the year. The dangers involved with this high-risk activity are plain to see. Events over the past month, in California and Idaho, have only served to underline this.