Josh Miramant is literally hooked on BASE jumping.

The 28-year-old American adrenaline junkie enjoys the extreme sport with a squeamish catch – he leaps with the parachute pierced into his bare skin.

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The images aren’t for the faint-hearted.

The adventurer from San Francisco was recently pictured launching himself from a cliff in Ton Sai, Thailand.

According to US media, Mr Miramant had only begun BASE jumping several weeks before having the hooks sunk into his back.

“I’d never had any other piercings before and it was by far the most painful part of the whole experience,” he told Barcroft TV.

Known as a ‘suspension jump’, the hook and bolts are inserted and removed after the jump.

“I am not a masochist. I just came to enjoy the whole experience despite the pain, but I was certainly happy when the piercing was complete,” he said.

Mr Miramant said the jump itself wasn’t painful and delivered ‘one of the strongest adrenaline kicks I’ve ever had.’

He plans to do a similar jump from a hot air balloon in the next six months.