A SCOTTISH wingsuit flyer has died during a base jump in the Swiss Alps.
Liam Byrne, 24, tragically lost his life during the jump at Gitschen, a 8,245ft mountain in the Urner Alps, on Saturday.
InstagramScottish wingsuit flyer Liam Byrne tragically died after the accident on Saturday[/caption]
Instagram/liambyrneLiam, from Aberdeenshire, starred in a documentary about the extreme sport[/caption]
Instagram/liambyrneHis family confirmed he sadly lost his life[/caption]
His parents Mike and Gillian confirmed to BBC Scotland that he had sadly died.
In a statement to the broadcaster, they 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.”
They added: “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.”
Wingsuit flying involves skydiving in a special webbed suit which helps the jumper glide through the air at high speeds.
Heartbroken friends and family also left messages of condolence online.
One wrote: “Devastated hearing this tragic news Mike. Thinking about you all at this unimaginably difficult time.”
Another posted: “Heart goes out to you all. What an incredible life he lived it to the absolute fullest. Just heartbreaking and devastating.”
A third added: “He lived his best ever life doing what he loved. Our deepest condolences to you all.”
He told how his thirst for adventure started at a young age thanks to his ex-Royal Marine Commando dad Mike and the pair bonded over their shared love for the extreme.
Liam spent five years living out the back of his dad’s old Citroen Berlingo as he mastered his craft to the point he felt comfortable doing death-defying jumps.
Liam starred in a BBC Scotland documentary about the extreme sport called The Boy Who Can Fly.
The young thrill-seeker, from Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, confessed in the doc how much he loved the sport.
He said at the time: “When I’m getting ready to go to the end of a cliff and jump off, there’s a voice in my head that says ‘What are you doing man?’
“And then the other voice in my head says ‘this is what you’ve been dreaming about your entire life, this is what everything’s been leading up to. This is your destiny’. And that voice always wins.
“Growing up the only thing I’d really watch on TV was David Attenborough documentaries and I’d even be sitting at school staring out the window at seagulls flying and being envious they have that freedom to take off and fly away.
“I always hated sitting still, looking back now, a love of nature is where it all began for me, especially birds, the way they’re able to harness the elements and fly effortlessly.
“I knew really early on that’s what I wanted to do – fly like a bird.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed it was supporting the family of a British man who died in Switzerland.
StoryboardLiam confessed his love for wingsuit flying in a BBC documentary[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
