Scottish wingsuit flyer dies throughout Swiss Alps bounce by means of NewsFlicks

A Scottish wingsuit flyer has died throughout a bounce within the Swiss Alps.

British champion Liam Byrne, 24, was once seriously injured at the Gitschen mountain on Saturday after starting up from 7,874ft (2,400m).

Mr Byrne, from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, featured in a 2024 BBC documentary referred to as The Boy Who Can Fly.

He was once described as an overly skilled wingsuit flyer – which is a kind of skydiving which comes to dressed in a unique go well with with webbing to permit mid-air elevate – and had finished greater than 4,000 jumps throughout his 10 profession.

Mr Byrne had informed the documentary: “I believe I used to be about 13 after I mentioned to my dad that I sought after to discover ways to fly like a fowl.”

He defined: “Even in class I’d stare out the window on the seagulls flying and all the time feeling that sense of envy that they have got that freedom to simply take off and fly away.

“I do marvel why I like flying such a lot? Possibly my mind is stressed another way to people’s, perhaps I handle worry another way.

“However I do know myself smartly sufficient to grasp that an place of work activity scares me excess of the concern of loss of life from a base bounce or wingsuit flight.”

My Byrne mentioned regardless of how secure he attempted to make the game, he did consider how a lot it fearful his circle of relatives.

He informed the documentary makers that preparation was once key to being secure.

“I have spent the decade coaching to extend the talents and reduce any possibility.

“For me I am about so far as a reckless adrenaline junkie as you’ll be able to most likely get. Preparation is all the time been on the middle of all my demanding situations. The extra I get ready, the extra keep an eye on I’ve.”

Mr Byrne took to excessive sports activities from a tender age. At 12 he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, a top in Tanzania, African, status at 5,895 meters (19,341ft) prime.

That journey ended in dog-sledging during the Arctic, scuba diving and a couple of large summit climbs.

At 16 he took his first sky dive and by means of 18 he was once pulling on a wingsuit which he described as a “2d pores and skin, letting me transfer during the air in a managed means”.

Mr Byrne’s folks, Mike and Gillian, showed to BBC Scotland Information that their son had died.

A circle of relatives observation mentioned: “We would love to keep in mind Liam no longer only for the best way he left this global, however for a way he lived in it.

“Liam was once fearless, no longer essentially as a result of he wasn’t afraid however as a result of he refused to let worry hang him again. He chased lifestyles in some way that almost all people simplest dream of and he soared.

“Skydiving and base leaping was once greater than only a thrill for Liam – it was once freedom. It was once the place he felt maximum alive.”

The observation added: “Liam was once extra than simply an adventurer. He was once a son, brother, grandson, cousin and good friend. He was once a supply of laughter and energy.

“He impressed all people and made lifestyles higher along with his daring spirit and sort middle. We can leave out Liam’s wild power and contagious giggle.

“Although he has now flown past our succeed in, he’s going to all the time be with us.”

The BBC documentary featured Mr Byrne’s dad, Mike, a builder and previous Commando within the British Military.

In on emotional scene, he watches his son take off on a coaching bounce and says “I’ve buried him 10 occasions already in my head”.

However Mr Byrne Snr is going on to mention he knew the enjoyment wingsuit leaping gave Liam.

“He was once a fantastic child rising up – the rest I advised he can be up for. I used to be vastly impressed by means of him. I want I might be extra like him.”

The International, Commonwealth and Construction Administrative center (FCDO) showed it was once supporting the circle of relatives of a British guy who died in Switzerland.