A daredevil CEO has died in a tragic wingsuit accident after colliding with trees during a jump in the Swiss Alps.
Kirk Hawkins, 58, founder of U.S. aircraft manufacturer ICON Aircraft and a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, leapt from a helicopter near the peak of the Eiger summit on Tuesday, August 19, alongside three others.
Tragically, Hawkins crashed to the ground west of Schüssellouwinegraben after striking trees. Swiss police confirmed his death and said an investigation into the accident is underway.
Hawkins co-founded ICON Aircraft in 2006 with close friend and business partner Steen Strand.
In a heartfelt post on LinkedIn, Strand announced his passing, writing: “I have devastating news to share. We lost Kirk, my close friend and partner at ICON Aircraft, to a wingsuit accident in Switzerland. He was the most extraordinary person.
Remembering his late co-founder, Steen Strand described Kirk Hawkins as “the most extraordinary person” he had ever known.
“Kirk started life with nothing and climbed to the top — Clemson, Stanford, the Air Force flying F-16s, then Stanford again for business school,” Strand wrote.
He recalled Hawkins as a man who embraced every challenge: “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.”
Strand added that he could picture Hawkins facing his final moments with courage and humor: “I imagine Kirk, in his last moments, knew what was coming, thought that line, and laughed one last time before the exit.”
