Swiss Authorities Close Criminal Investigation into Death of Scottish Wingsuit Flyer Liam Byrne

Swiss prosecutors have decided to drop an investigation into whether any crime was committed in connection with the death of a Scottish wingsuit flyer who died during a jump in the Alps last year.

Liam Byrne, a 24-year-old British champion in the extreme sport, suffered fatal injuries on the Gitschen mountain after launching from a height of 7,874ft (2,400m) in June 2025. His death prompted an official inquiry, but documents from the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office reviewed by BBC Scotland News indicate that proceedings have now been formally discontinued.

The decision brings an end to a case that had raised questions about whether the crash involved any criminal negligence or third-party responsibility. According to the prosecutor's report, the first two wingsuit jumpers in Byrne's group had landed safely without incident, but Byrne himself struck the mountainside, sustaining injuries that proved fatal.

Wingsuit flying, a specialised form of skydiving, involves wearing a suit fitted with fabric webbing between the arms, legs and torso to generate lift and allow the wearer to glide through the air at high speeds. It is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous disciplines in extreme sports, demanding thousands of jumps of experience before practitioners attempt proximity flights near terrain.

Byrne, from Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, was described as a highly experienced wingsuit pilot who had completed thousands of jumps over the course of his career. His profile in the sport had grown to the point where he featured in a 2024 BBC documentary titled "The Boy Who Can Fly," which charted his extraordinary trajectory from a restless child with a passion for flight to an elite competitor.

The prosecutor's report concluded that the fatal crash was, with a high degree of probability, the result of an inescapable situation caused by insufficient lift combined with the low altitude above the ground. It stated that proceedings would be discontinued where there was insufficient evidence of criminal suspicion, such as knowingly placing life in danger.

Crucially, the document noted that there were no indications of any criminal acts by third parties that contributed to the crash, nor was there evidence of a pre-existing technical defect in the equipment Byrne was using. On that basis, the office determined that the proceedings should be closed.

The investigation had been examining whether any potential crime had been committed surrounding the circumstances of the jump. Its closure removes the prospect of charges being brought in Switzerland, where the accident occurred, and effectively confirms that authorities treat the death as a tragic accident rather than a matter of criminal liability.

Byrne's family previously paid tribute to him in a statement issued at the time of his death, saying they wished to remember him not merely for the manner in which he left the world but for how he had lived within it. They described him as fearless, explaining that his courage stemmed not from an absence of fear but from a refusal to allow fear to dictate his choices.

The family added that he had pursued life in a way that most people only dream of, and that skydiving and base jumping represented far more than an adrenaline rush for him. To Byrne, they said, the sports were a form of freedom and the place where he felt most alive.

His fascination with flight took root early. Byrne told the BBC documentary that he believed he was around 13 years old when he first informed his father that he wanted to learn to fly like a bird. That ambition was preceded by a childhood filled with adventurous pursuits, including summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak at 19,341ft (5,895 metres), at the age of just 12.

That achievement opened the door to further expeditions, among them dog-sledging through the Arctic, scuba diving and multiple climbs of high summits. By 14 he had become a licensed paraglider, and at 16 he completed his first skydive. Two years later, at 18, he was pulling on a wingsuit, which he memorably described as a second skin that allowed him to move through the air in a controlled manner.

The Gitschen jump that claimed his life took place in a landscape that draws wingsuit pilots from around the world, who are attracted by the steep gradients and dramatic drops of the Swiss Alps. Such terrain offers the altitude and angle required for sustained flight, but it also leaves very little margin for error when lift falls short close to the ground.

The prosecutor's emphasis on insufficient lift and low altitude highlights the tiny tolerances within which wingsuit pilots operate during proximity flights. A slight shortfall in the aerodynamic performance of the suit, or a delayed transition, can reduce the distance available to reach a safe landing or pull a parachute.

By closing the file, Swiss authorities have signalled that the available evidence does not support the conclusion that anyone knowingly endangered Byrne's life or that faulty gear played a part. That finding may bring a measure of clarity to his family and to the wider wingsuit community, even as it leaves the loss itself unexplained in human terms.

The case has also drawn attention to Scotland's connection to extreme sport, with Byrne's hometown of Stonehaven and the wider north-east of Scotland featuring in coverage of his life and death. His story resonated beyond the specialist press because of the documentary that introduced his journey to a mainstream audience.

For those who follow wingsuit flying, Byrne's death is a reminder of the inherent risks that accompany the pursuit of flight without an engine. Practitioners typically accumulate hundreds or thousands of skydives before progressing to wingsuit flights, and even the most seasoned pilots face conditions in which the outcome is determined in seconds.

The discontinuation of the Swiss proceedings means no criminal case will arise from the crash, and the official account will remain one of an accident caused by aerodynamic and altitude factors rather than human or mechanical failure. Byrne's family, meanwhile, have asked that he be remembered for the intensity with which he embraced life and for the freedom he found in the sky.

The Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office has not indicated that any further inquiries will be conducted into the incident. For the wingsuit community and for those who knew Byrne, the closing of the investigation marks the end of the legal process, though the tributes to a young man who spent his life chasing the sensation of flight are likely to endure.