Base jumper Dan Witchalls: 'Why I risk my life'

Dan Witchalls: I love the rush of jumping

After the tragic death of one the world's most renowned extreme sportsmen, Dean Potter, and his fellow jumper Graham Hunt - what drives people to risk their lives?

Dan Witchalls has base jumped - "base" is an acronym for the four categories of fixed objects from which one jumps: building, antenna, span, and Earth (mostly, from a cliff) - around the globe for over a decade, including four times off London's Shard skyscraper.

Until you've actually done it yourself you can't really appreciate all the emotions that go through your head. Fear is a big one as you stand on the ledge.

It is addictive. I hated my first jump, I did it out it out of curiosity and it was very scary. I vowed never to do another, but there was something that drew me back into it. I did another one, and then another one, and then it's got you. Fifteen years and 1,500 jumps later I'm still here.

Base jumping is scarier than jumping out of a plane. In a plane there is no perception of height, but when you are standing on the edge of the building you can see people and cars - it makes it very real.

Every time you jump you roll a dice, and eventually your number is going to come up. It's a huge risk so you have to be very careful, pick and choose your jumps and your moments.

I don't want it to happen but I'm realistic enough to know that sooner or later something is going to happen.

Dan has jumped from the 310m high Shard four times

My family are not big fans, my wife has been on my case for years to retire. I do intend to stop as soon as I can, I just can't bring myself to at the moment.

I suppose it is an addiction.

I love the rush of jumping. Everyday life is boring and life is pretty short. I get to travel all over the world do things that no-one else has done before - that keeps me going.

This timelapse image shows Dan Witchalls using his wingsuit in the mountains

Dean died whilst on a wingsuit jump. He'd originally been one of the world's best climbers but in the last few years he had become really good with the wingsuits.

I've used them and you you do feel like you're flying. When you are moving at 100mph, flying across fields and rivers, next to mountains - you feel like Superman. It sounds childish, but that's the best way I can describe it.

I can understand why Dean wanted to push the limits. People always want to go higher, faster, stronger - it's just human nature.

When I see things like Dean's death it does make me think that I need to stop. I've lost a lot of friends, especially to wingsuits - that's the fashionable way to kill yourself these days.

But will I jump again? Of course I will, I'm not ready to give it up.

Dan Witchalls was speaking to the BBC's James Reevell.