A DAREDEVIL CEO has died in a horror wingsuit crash after he collided with trees in the Swiss Alps.
Kirk Hawkins, 58, was described as the “most extraordinary person” by his devastated friends as tributes pour in for the former Air Force pilot.
Kirk had jumped out of a helicopter alongside three others in the area of the Eiger summit.
They glided along the east ridge before the American CEO of ICON Aircraft hit some trees just west of Schüssellouwinegraben.
He died after crashing to the ground, police confirmed.
An investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.
His close friend and business partner Steen Strand announced his passing with a touching tribute.
He wrote: “Kirk was the most extraordinary person I’ve ever known, or ever will know.
“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.”
Kirk and Steen co-founded Icon Aircraft as they created the amphibious A5 light sport aircraft in 2006.
The seaplane was an innovative aircraft when it was first launched but carried a hefty price tag of around $389,000.
Deliveries started in 2016 but less than a year later a fatal accident took place.
Former baseball player Roy ‘Doc’ Halladay died aged 40 in a plane crash.
A former star of the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies was piloting an ICON A5 light-sport aircraft when it crashed into the Gulf of Mexico close to Florida.
Kirk would remain as CEO for another 12 months after the fatal accident before he left the company in November 2018.
