James Bond Stuntman, Mark Sutton Dies in Alps Jump

James Bond double, Mark Sutton (centre)

Remember Mark Sutton? The stuntman who parachuted into the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics dressed as the fictional British spy James Bond alongside a double of Britain's Queen Elizabeth has been killed in a wing-diving accident in the Swiss Alps. RIP.

Mark Sutton, 42, a former Ghurkha Rifles officer, died after jumping from a helicopter wearing a wing-diving suit and crashing into a mountain ridge in the Trient area near the border with France on Wednesday.

He jumped with a friend from a height of 10,826ft (3,300m) at around 11am yesterday and planned to land in a field close to the hamlet of Le Peuty, near Trient. Obviously things went wrongly.

Wing-diving is an extreme sport which involves using a special jumpsuit with wings that allow the wearer to glide. Wing-divers usually end their jump using a parachute.

The Olympic stunt was a highlight of the last year's opening ceremony and followed the showing of a film in which 007 actor, Daniel Craig, called at Buckingham Palace to meet and escort the real Queen Elizabeth to the Olympic stadium.

Source: Reuters