21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Wingsuit flyer who died in Swiss Alps remembered as ‘fearless' adventurer
A 24-year-old wingsuit flyer, Liam Byrne, has been remembered as a 'fearless' man with a 'contagious laugh' after his death in the Swiss Alps.
The BBC reported that Mr Byrne died on Saturday following a wingsuit crash on the Gitschen mountain.
Mr Byrne reportedly took off from an altitude of 7,874ft (2,400 metres) before the incident, according to the BBC.
Just last November, Mr Byrne was featured in a BBC documentary titled The Boy Who Can Fly, which chronicled his journey to becoming a champion skydiver.
His parents, Mike and Gillian, confirmed their son's death to BBC Scotland News, paying a heartfelt tribute to his "wild energy" and "contagious laugh".
The Byrne 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 were more than just a thrill for the 24-year-old, the family said.
'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.
'We will miss Liam's wild energy and contagious laugh.
'Though he has now flown beyond our reach, he will always be with us.'
The documentary, which screened on 8 November, showed Mr Byrne and his father, Mike, as Mr Byrne prepared for a wingsuit jump off Mannlichen mountain in Switzerland.
Speaking in the documentary, Mr Byrne, from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, said: 'An office job scares me far more than the fear of dying from a base jump or wingsuit flight.'
The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
