Former Nike Executive and Beloved Member of Oregon's Outdoors Community Dies

A former Nike executive who left the company to pursue his love of the outdoors died in Norway when his parachute didn't open while BASE jumping.

Michael Leming's death was first reported by KGW.

KGW anchor Joe Donlon, a longtime friend of Leming's, wrote on his Facebook page, "I had a feeling this day was coming. Still, even when I got word of what happened, I didn't want to believe it.

"I think he would have admitted - this was probably inevitable. So did the hundreds of people who were close to him. But that never stopped him, or slowed him down.

"Michael saved numerous lives, while living his own life - on the edge."

Leming spent 15 years at Nike as a talent recruiter but his love had always been the outdoors.

Since 2000, he had been a volunteer with Portland Mountain Rescue where, Donlon wrote, he saved numerous lives.

The rescue group remembered Leming on their Facebook page.

Leming had been in Norway celebrating his 53rd birthday, which was last Wednesday.

On that day, his partner posted on Facebook video of him arriving "right on time for dinner and & shots of whiskey."

Many of the social media posts about Leming the past few days have focused on the many rescue missions on Mt. Hood that he participated in.

Says Donjon:

"Michael was also on several missions to recover the bodies of climbers who died on the mountain. On one climb, the weather was treacherous. They would have to wait, to remove the body. But Michael found the climber, and retrieved his wedding ring - to give to the man's family in the meantime."