Ken Banks and Ben Philip
BBC Scotland
BBC
Liam Byrne, from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, was featured jumping from a mountain top in a recent BBC documentary called “The Boy Who Can Fly”
A Scottish wingsuit flyer has died during a jump in the Swiss Alps.
British champion Liam Byrne, 24, was critically injured on the Gitschen mountain on Saturday after taking off from 7,874ft (2,400m).
Mr Byrne, from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, featured in a 2024 BBC documentary called The Boy Who Can Fly.
He was described as a very experienced wingsuit flyer – which is a type of skydiving which involves wearing a special suit with webbing to allow mid-air lift – and had completed more than 4,000 jumps during his 10-year career.
Mr Byrne had told the documentary: “I think I was about 13 when I said to my dad that I wanted to learn to fly like a bird.”
Liam Byrne completed more than 4,000 jumps during his career
The skydiving instructor explained: “Even at school I would stare out the window at the seagulls flying and always feeling that sense of envy that they have that freedom to just take off and fly away.
“I do wonder why I love flying so much? Maybe my brain is wired differently to other people’s, maybe I deal with fear differently.
“But I know myself well enough to know that an office job scares me far more than the fear of dying from a base jump or wingsuit flight.”
My Byrne said 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 as 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.”
Extreme sports
Mr Byrne took to extreme sports from a young age.
At 12 he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, a peak in Tanzania, Africa, standing at 19,341ft (5,895 metres) high.
That adventure led to dog-sledging through the Arctic, scuba diving and multiple big summit climbs.
At 16 he did his first sky dive and by 18 he was pulling on a wingsuit which he described as a “second skin, letting me move through the air in a controlled way”.
Byrne family
Liam Byrne’s parents Mike and Gillian paid tribute to his life
Mr Byrne’s parents, Mike and Gillian, confirmed to BBC Scotland News that their son had died.
A family statement 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.”
Byrne family
The Gitschen mountain was the scene of Mr Byrne’s death
The statement 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.”
Filmed in 2019: The teenage wingsuit flyer going for gold
The 2024 BBC documentary featured Mr Byrne’s dad, Mike, a builder and former Royal Marine Commando.
In on emotional scene, he watches his son take off on a training jump and said: “I have buried him 10 times already in my head.”
But Mike goes on to say he knew the joy wingsuit jumping gave Liam.
He added: “He was an amazing kid growing up – anything I suggested he would be up for.
“I was massively inspired by him. I wish I could be more like him.”
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland and the Cantonal Police of Uri said the fatal wingsuit incident was being investigated.
A statement said three wingsuit pilots had jumped shortly before noon on Saturday, and the accident happened shortly afterwards.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed it was supporting the family of a British man who died in Switzerland.
