24-year-Old Wingsuit Flyer Dies While Attempting 8,000-Foot Jump In The Swiss Alps
A 24-year-old Scottish wingsuit flyer died on Saturday during a jump from 8,000 feet, the BBC reported. Liam Byrne, who starred in a documentary about his journey to become a champion skydiver, plunged to his death on the Gitschen mountain in the Swiss Alps. The 24-year-old, from Aberdeenshire in Scotland, had completed more than 4,000 jumps in his 10 years as a wingsuit flyer and was featured in a BBC documentary called 'The Boy Who Can Fly'.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland and the Cantonal Police of Uri have said the fatal wingsuit incident is being investigated, per the BBC. The statement added that Mr Byrne had jumped with two others on Saturday when he died.
Mr Byrne's parents confirmed their son's demise. In a statement to the outlet, the family said, "We would like to remember Liam not just for the way he left this world, but for how he lived in it. Liam was fearless, not necessarily because he wasn't afraid but because he refused to let fear hold him back. He chased life in a way that most of us only dream of and he soared."
"Skydiving and base jumping was more than just a thrill for Liam - it was freedom. It was where he felt most alive. Liam was more than just an adventurer. He was a son, brother, grandson, cousin and friend. He was a source of laughter and strength. He inspired all of us and made life better with his bold spirit and kind heart," the statement added.
The BBC described Mr Byrne as a very experienced wingsuit flyer. He took to extreme sports from a young age. At 12, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. By the age of 14, he was a licensed paraglider, and at 16, he began skydiving, and by 18, he started using a wingsuit.
In the documentary, he said that no matter how safe he tried to make the sport, he did think about how much it worried his family. He told the documentary makers that preparation was key to being safe.
"I've spent the last decade training to increase the skills and decrease any risk. For me I'm about as far from a reckless adrenaline junkie as you can possibly get. Preparation is always been at the heart of all my challenges. The more I prepare, the more control I have," he said.
An investigation into Mr Byrne's death is ongoing. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed it was supporting the family of a British man who died in Switzerland.
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