Scots adventurer veered off course during 8,000ft jump

A SCOTS wingsuit flyer has been killed following a horror accident in the Swiss Alps.

- By Richard Elias

Liam Byrne was killed after jumping from almost 8,000ft up, before veering off course and plunging into rocks.

The 24-year-old, who was from Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, was a veteran of the sport, which is a version of skydiving but sees participants using a web-sleeved jumpsuit instead of a parachute.

The tragedy happened after Liam leapt off the Gitschen, an 8,245ft-high peak in central Switzerland’s Urner Alps overlooking Lake Lucerne.

Yesterday, Liam’s father spoke to BBC Scotland about the tragedy.

Mike Byrne said: “Though he has now flown beyond our reach, he will always be with us.”

A statement from his family read: “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.”