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Mark Sutton
Mark Sutton
Mark Sutton
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Mark Sutton (13 April 1971 – 14 August 2013)[3] was a British stuntman who took part in the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony by parachuting from a helicopter above the stadium as James Bond. He died in a wingsuit flying accident near Les Grandes Otanes in Switzerland. He had been travelling at around 125 miles per hour (201 km/h) when he hit a ridge.

Key Information

Life

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Mark Sutton was the son of Air Marshal Sir John Matthias Dobson Sutton KCB, former Lieutenant-Governor of the Island of Jersey, and Lady Angela Sutton. He was educated at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where he won the Sword of Honour. He received an officer's commission in the 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles in December 1991, and served as an Army Officer until 1995.[3] Upon leaving the Army, he changed career and moved into finance in the city of London. When he died, Sutton was working as a consultant for The Royal Bank of Scotland.[1]

London 2012 Olympics

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During a segment of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics entitled "Happy and Glorious", Sutton served as a stunt double of James Bond on a helicopter in a filmed portion of the segment. Alongside his friend Gary Connery (who was The Queen's double for the segment), Sutton skydived out of the helicopter above the Olympic Stadium.[1] Following the ceremony, the sequence was described as one of its highlights by the media.[2][4]

Death

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In August 2013, Mark Sutton and 20 other top wingsuiters were invited to a three-day event in Chamonix, France known as Helibase 74, which was organised by Epic TV, a web TV channel specialising in extreme sports. In exchange for video footage of their flights, the website provided accommodations and helicopter access. On 14 August 2013, Sutton jumped alongside Tony Uragallo (both equipped with multiple video cameras) in a short "warm-up" flight near Les Grandes Otanes scheduled to last about a minute. However, tragedy struck only 20 seconds into the flight; as he jumped from the helicopter at 10,800 feet (3,300 m), travelling at speeds of up to 155 mph (249 km/h), Sutton veered off-course and crashed into a mountain ridge.[5] A rescue helicopter arrived soon after Sutton hit the ground, but he was pronounced dead at the scene—Sutton's impact was so severe that a DNA test was required to identify his body, and a spokesperson stated that he had no chance of surviving the impact. While Sutton was equipped with a parachute during the flight for landing, it was left unused. As part of the investigation, the video footage from Uragallo's cameras were handed over to a Swiss police unit.[1][5]

An Epic TV spokesperson considered Sutton's death to be an accident, noting that two successful flights with other wingsuiters were held prior, and that they had planned to be "conservative" that day due to the large number of flights planned. The remaining participants in the event elected to continue on in honour of Sutton.

His death was regarded as a major loss to the community of wingsuit flying, among whom he was considered to be one of the world's best.[6][1] Among those to pay tribute to Sutton were Sebastian Coe, Gary Connery,[7] and Danny Boyle who said that his death was a "huge loss to his profession".[1]

References

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Mark Sutton

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from Grokipedia
Mark Sutton is a British photographer known for his extensive career in motorsport photography, particularly capturing Formula One over more than four decades. Growing up near Manchester, Sutton was introduced to motorsport and photography at a young age through his father's passion for both, often attending events at the nearby Oulton Park circuit. He began photographing races in 1983, starting with a notable British Formula Three event at Oulton Park featuring Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle, turned fully professional in 1985, and focused on Formula One full-time from 1992. He co-founded Sutton Images, which grew into one of the leading agencies for motorsport photography and later became part of larger groups like Motorsport Images. Sutton's work has documented many defining moments in Formula One, including key events from Ayrton Senna's career, Michael Schumacher's early Ferrari successes, and more recent races, earning him recognition as one of the sport's foremost photographers. His images have been widely published and are noted for capturing both high-action incidents and emotional scenes trackside.

Early life

Mark Sutton grew up near Manchester in the United Kingdom. His father was a passionate motorsport fan and amateur photographer who introduced him to racing at a young age by taking him to events at the local Oulton Park circuit. In 1983, after completing school, Sutton attended college where he learned the basics of photography, including cameras, lighting, and still-life techniques. He also worked part-time on Saturdays at a camera shop in Stockport. That year, he photographed his first motor race: a British Formula Three event at Oulton Park featuring a battle between Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle, using his father's Praktica camera. His images from the race, including Senna's crash, were published and remain in use today. Sutton turned professional in 1985 and co-founded Sutton Images with his brother Keith Sutton, which became a prominent agency in motorsport photography before becoming part of larger groups like Motorsport Images. He began focusing full-time on Formula One in 1992.

Military career

Commissioning and Sword of Honour

Mark Sutton was awarded the Sword of Honour while training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the most prestigious accolade given to the outstanding officer cadet of the course. The award recognizes excellence across leadership, military training, academic achievement, and physical fitness, marking the recipient as the top performer among their peers. Upon completion of his Sandhurst training, Sutton was commissioned into the 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles in December 1991. This marked his entry as an officer into one of the British Army's elite regiments renowned for the bravery and loyalty of its Gurkha soldiers. The Sword of Honour and subsequent commissioning highlighted his early promise and distinction in military service.

Service with the Gurkha Rifles

Mark Sutton served as an officer in the 6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles from January 1991 until August 1995, during which he rose to the rank of captain. His service included postings in Hong Kong, Brunei, and Nepal. He learned the Nepali language spoken by the Gurkhas and became familiar with their regimental motto "Hami jasto kohi chaina," translating to "there's no one quite like us." This period coincided with significant reductions in the British Army under the "Options for Change" defence review of 1990 and the subsequent "Front Line First" measures of 1994, which halved the size of the Brigade of Gurkhas from around 8,000 to just over 3,500 members. In 1994, the 6th Gurkha Rifles was amalgamated with other Gurkha regiments to form the Royal Gurkha Rifles, and Sutton continued his service with the successor regiment until his resignation from the Army in August 1995. No information on a finance career applies to Mark Sutton the motorsport photographer. The provided content refers to a different individual and has been removed. Mark Sutton, the motorsport photographer who is the subject of this article, has no documented stunt career involving parachuting, wingsuit flying, or performances at the Olympics. This section originally contained information about a different individual of the same name. No death has occurred for Mark Sutton, the motorsport photographer who is the subject of this article. The provided content describes a different individual with the same name.

Legacy

Mark Sutton is widely regarded as one of the foremost photographers in Formula One and motorsport, having documented the sport for over four decades. His images have captured defining moments, including key events from Ayrton Senna's career, Michael Schumacher's early successes with Ferrari, and numerous contemporary races. Through his founding of Sutton Images—which became a leading agency for motorsport photography before integration into larger groups such as Motorsport Images—Sutton has significantly contributed to the visual documentation and historical record of the sport. His work is noted for its technical skill in capturing high-action incidents and emotional trackside scenes, earning him recognition among peers and publications as a leading figure in the field.
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