Olympics 'James Bond' stuntman Mark Sutton killed in Alps skydiving accident

Mark Sutton is believed to have hit a mountain ridge while taking part in wingsuit dive in the Swiss Alps

Thursday 15 August 2013 12:12 EDT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The British stuntman who parachuted into the Olympic Stadium dressed as James Bond during the opening ceremony of London 2012 has been killed in a skydiving accident.

Mark Sutton, 42, died yesterday after crashing into a mountain ridge in the Swiss Alps having jumped from a helicopter in an aerodynamic wingsuit, the Sun reported.

Sutton, a former Army officer, doubled for actor Daniel Craig for a section of the Olympic opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle, which saw the spy jump out of a helicopter alongside a stunt double for Queen with Union flag-emblazoned parachutes.

Gary Connery, who played the Queen in the stunt last year, told the paper he had lost a close friend 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," he said.

"My relationship with Mark was like that."

Skydiving wingsuits increase the surface area of the body, allowing users to glide through the air at high speeds before opening their parachutes.

Police in the Swiss Valais canton confirmed that a 42-year-old British man had died after jumping with a friend from a helicopter while wearing a wingsuit above the Grandes-Otannes area, close to the French border.

The pair jumped from a height of 10,826ft (3,300m) at around 11am yesterday and had planned to land close to the hamlet of Le Peuty, near Trient, police said in a statement.

A preliminary investigation suggests that he hit a ridge, police confirmed.

The statement added that they were in the region as guests of a company that makes extreme sports films for the internet.