Pierre Wolnik died on Saturday, Feb. 7, in the French Alps
Pierre Wolnik/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- A double world champion wingsuit skydiver plummeted to his death in the French Alps after his parachute failed to open on Saturday Feb. 7, according to multiple local media outlets
- Pierre Wolnik was a member of the French team for the 2026 FAI World Championships
- An investigation into the incident is ongoing
A world champion wingsuit skydiver has died after his parachute failed to open during a freefall jump in southeastern France over the weekend, according to reports.
On Saturday, Feb. 7, Pierre Wolnik, a two-time French freefly world champion, jumped from a helicopter in a wingsuit for a daring freefall in the Mont Blanc massif, a mountain range in the French Alps, French outlets Le Figaro, TF1 Info and Le Dauphiné Libéré reported. After freefalling for several seconds, the 37-year-old athlete’s parachute did not open for unknown reasons as he approached the ground, resulting in his death, per the outlets.
Wolnik’s body was found in the village of Les Bossons, in the Chamonix valley, and first responders declared him dead at the scene, according to Le Figaro. An investigation into his death is ongoing.
French officials did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
The famed athlete was a member of the French team for the 2026 FAI World Championships and was a leader in wingsuit skydiving, Le Parisien reported. Wolnik also worked as a videographer for the Fédération Française de Parachutisme (FPF), capturing his bold acrobatics on camera that he would then share with his social media followers.
Wolnik was a double world champion, per his Instagram account.
Following Wolnik’s tragic death, the FPF wrote that he would be “remembered as a teammate whose presence will forever be etched in the memories of those around him,” in a translated statement.
Pierre Wolnik/Instagram
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“Today, the entire sport parachuting community mourns and pays tribute to a young man renowned for his talent and his exceptional character,” the organization continued.
Pierre Wolnik/Instagram
In a separate tribute, FFP President Yves-Marie Guillaud honored the skilled athlete. "The entire sport parachuting community mourns a talented young man with such a friendly smile," he wrote on Facebook, according to Le Parisien. "May the memory of this exceptional parachutist fill our hearts."
Last November, Wolnik shared a video on Instagram of one of his freefalls.
“Flying high, feeling free,” he captioned the video. “Because up there, everything makes sense.”
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