British wingsuit champion Liam Byrne, 24, dies in Swiss Alps base jump
The man was later named as Liam Byrne by his parents, who released a statement to the BBC, paying tribute to their son's 'bold spirit and kind heart.'
Byrne was experienced in wingsuit flying, a strand of skydiving that involves wearing a specially designed suit to maximise gliding time before deploying a parachute.
He became a British champion in the sport in 2022, recording the fastest speed in the advanced category.
More recently, he was the subject of a BBC documentary, 'The Boy Who Can Fly,' which traced his dreams of flying like a bird and his careful preparations to do so.
On Saturday, he and two other wingsuit flyers launched a jump from the Gitschen mountain in central Switzerland at approximately 2,400 meters (7,900 feet) above sea level, but he deviated from his intended course for unknown reasons, Swiss police said.
He crashed into a rocky outcrop at approximately 2,100 meters (6,900 feet) above sea level and suffered fatal injuries, the statement added.
CNN has reached out to Byrne's family and Britain's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for comment.
Growing up in Stonehaven, a small town on Scotland's northeast coast, Byrne was always drawn to adventure and extreme sports. According to his LinkedIn profile, he had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro by the age of 12, covered 500 kilometers (310 miles) with his own team of huskies through Norway, Sweden and Finland by 14 and qualified as a skydiving instructor by 19.
'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,' his family said in its statement.
'Skydiving and base jumping was more than just a thrill for Liam – it was freedom. It was where he felt most alive.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
International manhunt underway for British man accused of 'Magaluf hit-and-run that injured two'
An international manhunt is underway for a British man who was accused of mowing down two people, including a British teenager, in a 'hit-and-run' in Magaluf. A warrant has been issued for Jack Benjamin Hulme, 31, who had allegedly been drinking before he drove his hire car into a crowd in Majorca on March 23, 2023. He reportedly knocked down a British man, 19, and sent a Polish woman, 20, flying in the air. He was released on bail by a Spanish judge following 36 hours in custody, but an arrest warrant has been issued after he failed to respond to court officials' attempts to contact him. The ongoing judicial case has been suspended until Hulme is located. Hulme, who faces extradition following his arrest, is facing trial on five offences. Three people standing next to the victims managed to run out of the way and reach safety as the car veered towards them, The Mirror reported. Footage of the incident showed the Polish woman lying unconscious on her back as the car sped away. Hulme allegedly had an argument with another British man whose girlfriend had fallen out with his partner prior to the incident. He allegedly stormed off before mounting the pavement outside a fast-food restaurant and hitting two pedestrians, who were reportedly not involved in the dispute. Hulme was arrested at nearby Son Matias beach and initially held on suspicion of attempted homicide. He was later charged with lesser offences, including two counts of wounding, reckless driving and drink-driving. Both victims of the alleged hit-and-run survived without serious injury. In his initial court appearance, Hulme alleged he had not intended to run anyone over, but could not see properly because someone had 'sprayed him in the eyes' with an aerosol. A judge reportedly lost his patience with Hulme, who had to register contact details with court officials as part of his bail conditions. A spokesman for Spanish police previously said: 'A British man who was on holiday in Majorca has been arrested on suspicion of attempted homicide following an early-hours hit-and-run incident in Magaluf.' They added: 'He was held at nearby Son Matias beach after a police search for him and his vehicle. The incident was preceded by some sort of argument that is still under investigation. 'One of the people hurt was a Polish woman and the other a British man. Both were also on holiday in the area.'
Fox News
30 minutes ago
- Fox News
Former Vice President Mike Pence defends Trump's federal takeover in DC
Former Vice President Mike Pence said he "welcomed" President Donald Trump's actions to combat crime in Washington, D.C., during an interview on CNN, Sunday.
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Hong Kong pro-democracy activists granted asylum in Australia and Britain
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — A Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and a former lawmaker who are wanted by the city's authorities have been granted asylum in Great Britain and Australia, respectively. Tony Chung, an activist who was imprisoned under Hong Kong's sweeping national security law, and Ted Hui, a former lawmaker who was facing trial for his role in anti-government protests in 2019, both announced over the weekend that they have received asylum in the countries where they now live. They are among dozens of activists on the run from Hong Kong authorities. Civil liberties in the city have been greatly eroded since Beijing in 2020 imposed a national security law essentially criminalizing dissent in the former British colony. Both Beijing and Hong Kong have hailed the security law as bringing stability to the financial hub. Hui, who fled Hong Kong in December 2020, is part of a group of overseas activists who are targeted by police bounties of up to 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,800). The former lawmaker is now working as a lawyer in Adelaide. He announced on Facebook on Saturday that he and his family have been granted protection visas. 'I express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Australia — both present and former — for recognising our need for asylum and granting us this protection,' Hui wrote. 'This decision reflects values of freedom, justice, and compassion that my family will never take for granted.' While in Hong Kong, Hui had been an outspoken pro-democracy lawmaker. He was also known for disrupting a legislative session after he threw a rotten plant in the chamber to stop a debate of the national anthem bill — controversial legislation making it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. He was subsequently fined 52,000 Hong Kong dollars ($6,600) for the act. Chung, who had advocated for Hong Kong's independence, was sentenced to almost four years in prison for secession and money laundering in 2020. He was released on a supervision order, during which he traveled to Japan, from where he fled to Britain seeking asylum. In a post on social media platform Threads on Sunday, he expressed his excitement at receiving refugee status in Britain along with a five-year resident permit. He said that despite his challenges over the past few years, including persistent mental health problems, he remains committed to his activism. British and Australian authorities didn't immediately comment on the activists' statuses. Hong Kong's government did not comment directly on the cases but issued a statement on Saturday condemning 'the harbouring of criminals in any form by any country.' 'Any country that harbours Hong Kong criminals in any form shows contempt for the rule of law, grossly disrespects Hong Kong's legal systems and barbarically interferes in the affairs of Hong Kong,' the statement read.
