A daredevil CEO has tragically d!ed after colliding with trees when he jumped out of a helicopter in a wingsuit crash in the Swiss Alps
Kirk Hawkins, 58, who founded American aircraft manufacturer ICON Aircraft, jumped out of a helicopter along with three others near the peak of the Eiger summit on Tuesday. The American, who previously served as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, wore a wingsuit and glided along the east side of the Eiger range but later crashed to the ground, colliding with trees, and to his death.
Police confirmed the 58-year-old had died after crashing to the ground just west of Schüssellouwinegraben. Local police said the accident would be investigated. The CEO founded ICON Aircraft alongside close friend and business partner Steen Strand in 2006. Mr Strand announced the death of Mr Hawkins on Wednesday, describing him as the ‘most extraordinary person’. In an emotional post on Linkedin, he wrote: ‘I have devastating news to share. We lost Kirk, my close friend and partner at ICON Aircraft, to a wingsuit accident in Switzerland. ‘Kirk was the most extraordinary person I’ve ever known, or ever will know. He started life with nothing and climbed to the top–Clemson, Stanford, the Air Force (F-16’s), then Stanford again for business school.’ He added: ‘Kirk devoured life experiences most of us would never touch. ‘He was damn good at assessing risks, probably because he took so many. ‘He’d get you into tricky situations, but he’s also the one you wanted beside you when things got dicey. ‘I imagine Kirk, in his final moments, knew what was coming, thought that line, and laughed one last time before the exit.’
Source: African Publicity
