London Olympics "James Bond" parachutist is killed

Blackleaf

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The man who parachuted into the Olympic Stadium dressed as James Bond, with another man parachuting into it pretending to be the Queen during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, has been killed.

Mark Sutton, 42, from Surrey, died while wingsuit flying near Martigny, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

Swiss police investigating Mr Sutton's death said it appeared he had died after crashing into a ridge of rock.

Olympic Bond parachutist Mark Sutton killed

BBC News
15th August 2013


Mark Sutton, centre, doubled for Daniel Craig's James Bond at the London 2012 opening ceremony


"James Bond" and "the Queen" parachuting into the Olympic Stadium from a helicopter at the London Olympics opening ceremony

The stuntman who parachuted into the London 2012 opening ceremony as James Bond has been killed in an accident.

Briton Mark Sutton, 42, from Surrey, died while wingsuit flying near Martigny, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

Swiss police investigating Mr Sutton's death said it appeared he had died after crashing into a ridge of rock.

Mr Sutton doubled for Daniel Craig's James Bond as he and another stuntman playing the Queen memorably jumped from a helicopter over the Olympic Stadium.

Wingsuit flyers wear special suits that are designed to allow them to glide through the air at high speeds, before a parachute is opened for landing.

Mr Sutton, a former army officer, jumped from a helicopter flying at 10,826ft with a fellow wingsuit flyer. They had intended to descend close to the mountainside and land at a village just across the border in France, police said.

Rescuers believe Mr Sutton died on impact when he hit the rock during his jump.

Footage examined

The stuntman had been invited by Epic TV to take part in the three-day wingsuiting event with about 20 other experienced flyers, who were to be filmed on their descents.

Trey Cook, editor-in-chief at the company, described the incident on the first day of the event as "devastating".

"It was a really casual event," he said. "They had gone up in helicopters and they were jumping. They were choosing their own courses. We were filming them as they were flying."

Mr Cook said the stuntman had jumped with two other people, one of whom had a camera to film the descent.


Stuntman Steve Truglia explains the risks involved in wingsuit flying

Police are studying video footage of the jump, but Mr Cook said the moment of impact was not captured on film.

Epic TV make "extreme sports" videos for broadcast online.

Police said a formal identification of the body was under way and an investigation had been opened.

In a statement they said: "During this flight, one of the men had a fatal fall. According to preliminary investigations, it appears that he fell after hitting a ridge.

"The victim, a Briton, was 42 years old. He was in Chamonix with around 20 other wingsuit pilots, considered among the best in the world in this sport."

BBC News - Olympic Bond parachutist Mark Sutton killed
 
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Tecumsehsbones

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Mar 18, 2013
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Stuntman Steve Truglia explains the risks involved in wingsuit flying

Thanks, without his explanation I never would have been able to figure out "Fast fast rock crunch ouch gasp die."