Scottish wingsuit flyer dies during Swiss Alps jump

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 recent BBC documentary called The Boy Who Can Fly.

He was described as a very experienced wingsuit flyer - which is a type skydiving which involves wearing a special suit with webbing to allow mid-air lift - and had completed thousands of jumps during his career.

He added: "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."

His parents, Mike and Gillian, confirmed to BBC Scotland News that their son had died.

"We would like to remember Liam not just for the way he left this world, but for how he lived in it," a family statement said.

"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."

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."