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The British stuntman who parachuted into the Olympics opening ceremony dressed as James Bond has been killed in a wingsuit flying accident.

Former army officer Mark Sutton, 42, was wing-diving from a helicopter in the Swiss Alps yesterday when he crashed into a mountain ridge.

Last summer, he was Daniel Craig's double in the memorable parachute jump alongside fellow stuntman Gary Connery dressed as the Queen.

The short film showed James Bond being summoned to the Palace before skydiving with the Queen into the Olympic stadium with Union-Jack emblazoned parachutes.

Pal Gary told The Sun 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."

Yesterday's tragedy happened after he jumped from a helicopter near Martigny, close to the Switzerland-France border.

He was among 20 of the world's top wing-divers invited to a three-day event where they were being filmed.

Grieving Gary later tweeted: "All you jumpers/flyers out there, stay safe, make wise choices and know your limits and your locations.

"Live to tell your stories. One love."

Wingsuits are special jump suits which increase the surface area of the body and act like a parachute wing, allowing users to glide through the air at high speeds.

Tragic Mark shared a video of his last wingsuit jump on August 11, filmed from a headcam in Chamonix in the Alps.

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.

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In a statement they said 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.

But a preliminary investigation suggests that he hit a ridge, it said.

He is yet to be formally identified.

"The victim, a Briton, was 42 years old. He was staying in Chamonix (in France) with 20 followers, considered among the best in the world in this discipline," the statement said.

It added that they were in the region as guests of a company that makes extreme sport films for the internet.