Champion skydiver killed in fatal jump after parachute failure
Pierre Wolnik, a two-time world skydiving champion in the discipline of freefly, died aged 37 following a parachute malfunction while skydiving over a mountain.
Wolnik skydived in a wingsuit from a helicopter to carry out a freefall skydiving jump in the Mont Blanc range, a mountain range in the French Alps, on Saturday, February 7th, as per reports in Le Figaro, TF1 Info, and Le Dauphiné Libéré.
After a brief free fall, his parachute failed to open.
French sports outlet Sport Tricolore confirmed Wolnik’s death in a post on X, calling him “a globally recognized name in the world of wingsuit flying.”
Wingsuit flying is considered an extreme form of flying in which skydivers use a special suit that consists of fabric attached to the arms and legs, which helps them glide at high speeds while reducing their rate of descent.
His body was found in the village of Les Bossons, in the Chamonix valley, and first responders declared him dead at the scene, Le Figaro reported.
Further, the publication wrote that the technical issue that caused the parachute malfunction is still under investigation.
The athlete was a member of the French FAI World Championship team and was considered one of the most prominent wingsuit skydivers.
Wolnik, who was also a professional videographer, was very active on the social media where he had more than 6,000 followers. He was often posting very thrilling moments of his skydiving stunts.
According to his Instagram profile, he was also a tunnel coach for dedicated flyers.
The Fédération Française de Parachutisme posted a tribute to Wolnik. In a translated social media post, they wrote: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Pierre Wolnik, which occurred on Saturday, February 7th.
“Pierre leaves behind the memory of a teammate whose presence will forever be felt. Today, the entire sport parachuting community mourns and pays tribute to a young man renowned for his talent and his exceptional character. On behalf of the entire Federation, we extend our sincere condolences to his family, loved ones, teammates, coach, and the members of the French national teams who had the privilege of knowing him.”
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FFP President Yves-Marie Guillaud also paid tribute to Wolnik in a separate statement.
“The entire sport parachuting community mourns a talented young man with such a friendly smile,” Guillaud wrote via Facebook, according to Le Parisien. “May the memory of this exceptional parachutist fill our hearts.”
In an October post shared on the social media, in which he could be seen gliding high over a vast mountain range with another diver, Wolnik wrote, “It seems that too many of us take this great mystery of life for granted to a point that they don’t even question the nature of the experience until the very end of it.”
A post shared by Pierre Wolnik | World Champ & Tunnel Coach (@pierrewolnik)
Another of his posts was captioned: “Flying high, feeling free 
. Because up there, everything makes sense.”
His fans also paid tribute to Wolnik.
“Rest in peace champion 
,” one user commented.
“Fly free ,” another added.
“Condolences to his family!!” a third user commented.
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