Cliff death man was well-known base jumper

Gareth Jones had made a name for himself as a daredevil who loved jumping from dizzy heights.

The British BASE jumper had leapt from landmarks including the Kuala Lumpur Tower but fell to his death from cliffs in Sydney in what appears to be a tragic accident.

Mr Jones, 25, plunged 90 metres onto a rock platform at North Head in Manly during an early morning outing with friends on Sunday.

Police have not confirmed Mr Jones's identity but said witnesses told them a man climbed a fence and walked to the edge of the cliff before falling and hitting a rock platform below.

The thrillseeker's body was winched from the bottom of the cliff face around midday.

A fellow extreme sports fanatic, who said he filmed Mr Jones when he base-jumped from the Eiger in the Swiss Alps, paid tribute on his Facebook page.

"Sad to announce that Gareth, who featured in my first BASE video, passed away yesterday," Bouken Boy Media wrote.

"A sport like that draws vibrant personalities, and he was an immensely fun and cheerful dude."