Mark Sutton, a British stuntman who wowed crowds with his portrayal of James Bond during the 2012 London Olympic Opening Ceremony has been killed in a wing-diving accident in Switzerland, NBC News reported.
The 42-year-old Sutton crashed into a mountain ridge in the Swiss Alps near Martigny close to the French border. Swiss police said that one of two wing-divers who jumped out of a helicopter at a height of more than 10,000 feet hit the ridge on Wednesday morning.
"He was part of a group of about 20 other comrades... regarded to be among the best in the world," the police said in a statement.
Film director Danny Boyle, who choreographed the Olympic ceremonies described Sutton as a "gentle and thoughtful" man. "The show was built from so many contributions from so many people, none finer and braver than Mark Sutton's. On behalf of everyone in the show we were all honored to have him worked with him and to have known him as a friend and a professional," Boyle said, adding that his death signified a "huge loss to his profession."
"Wing-suit flying involves flying through the air in a specially designed device that adds surface area to the human body, enabling a significant increase in lift," NBC News reported.
A flight normally ends with a parachute opening. Sutton was an experienced participant in wingsuit jumper. He worked as a derivatives adviser and was an accomplished skydiver.
His friend Gary Connery,a professional Hollywood stuntman and had been Sutton's wingman, told The Sun that the world lost someone who was "smart, articulate and funny. In any sport where you share a common bond you can make friends in a heartbeat that last a lifetime. My relationship with Mark was like that."
