Harrowing footage of a legendary stuntman’s final moments has surfaced online.
The footage shows Mark Sutton, a veteran James Bond stuntman from Surrey, England, jumping out of a helicopter over Switzerland before colliding with a mountain ridge in the Swiss Alps.
The 42-year-old, clothed in a blue and red wingsuit, began his descend at 10,800 feet, intending to fly near the slope, pass the open border into France, and land in a town.
Sutton was far from a novice skydiver; 12 years ago, he received global attention when he plunged from a helicopter while appearing as James Bond with a stunt double of the late Queen Elizabeth II tied to his front during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics.
His buddy Gary Connery, who doubled for the Queen, told The Sun that Sutton was’smart, intelligent, and hilarious’.
He stated, “In any sport where you share a common bond, you may make lifelong friends in an instant.
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“My relationship with Mark was like that.”
That proved to be the penultimate year of his life, when the former UK army officer gathered with approximately 20 other world-class wingsuit pilots in the Swiss city of Trient to participate in a non-competitive tournament.
He experienced problems in the air and collided with the mountain while flying at rates of up to 155 mph, which is more than twice the maximum speed limit on roads in most states.
Footage that resurfaced on X shows how Sutton prepared to jump out of the helicopter, signalling his readiness to the pilot with a thumbs up.
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Tragically, he would meet his death 20 seconds later.
According to a statement posted on Epic TV’s website, the catastrophe occurred on the first day of the three-day event, after numerous successful jumps had already been completed.
“Rescue services arrived quickly and determined that Mr Sutton had immediately died upon impact.”
While Trey Cook, the editor-in-chief of Epic TV, headquartered just across the border in Chamonix, France, told the Guardian: “Wingsuiting does have its risks, like extreme skiing or Formula One car racing.” Accidents happen, and this is a sport that is particularly unforgiving of mistakes. This is not the first time such an accident has occurred.
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