24-year-old dies in wingsuit crash in Switzerland

23 Jun 2025 • 10:49 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Liam Byrne, a 24-year-old wingsuit flyer, died on Saturday after a crash on the Gitschen mountain in the Swiss Alps.
  • Mr Byrne had been featured in a BBC documentary titled The Boy Who Can Fly, which followed his journey to becoming a champion skydiver, in November.
  • His parents Mike and Gillian confirmed his death, remembering him as a "fearless" man with a "contagious laugh" and "wild energy".
  • The family said that skydiving and base jumping were more than a thrill for Mr Byrne, describing them as his source of "freedom" and where he felt "most alive."
  • Mr Byrne said in the documentary that an office job scared him more than the fear of dying from a base jump or wingsuit flight.

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