Celebrated Scottish wingsuit flyer Liam Byrne died at 24 during a high-altitude jump in the Swiss Alps on Saturday, ending a daring career defined by his pursuit of flight. The British champion, originally from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, took off from Gitschen mountain at about 7,900 feet but deviated from his intended course and crashed into a rocky outcrop at 6,900 feet about sea level, per CNN. Byrne, who recently appeared in the BBC documentary The Boy Who Can Fly, was known for his extensive experience in the sport, having completed more than 4,000 jumps.
Byrne's passion for flying started early—he told documentary filmmakers he wanted to "fly like a bird" from the age of 13 and described feeling envious of seagulls as a child, per the BBC. He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro at 12 and tackled other extreme sports, including dog sledding in the Arctic and scuba diving, before making his first skydive at 16 and taking up wingsuit flying at 18. Byrne, a skydiving instructor, emphasized the importance of preparation and skill in minimizing risk, saying he was "about as far [from] a reckless adrenaline junkie as you can possibly get."
Despite his approach to safety, Byrne acknowledged the worries his family felt about his pursuits. In one scene from the documentary, his father explains, "I have buried him 10 times already in my head." Byrne's parents, Mike and Gillian, confirmed his death and remembered him as more than just an adventurer—a son, brother, and friend who inspired others with his energy and spirit. They said, "He chased life in a way that most of us only dream of and he soared." (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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