The stuntman who parachuted into the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics dressed as James Bond has died in a wing-diving accident, two newspapers have reported.

Mark Sutton was reportedly taking part in a three-day wing-diving event in Switzerland when his suit failed and he hit the ground.

Wing-diving is a fairly new sport in which participants jump out of planes or helicopters wearing a special flight suit with arms that act as wings, allowing the wearer to glide to the ground.

British newspapers the Sun and the Daily Mirror both reported that Sutton died after jumping from a helicopter.

It is believed the accident may have been filmed as the event had attracted 20 of the world's top wing-divers and the jumps were being recorded near the French-Swiss border.

Sutton, 41, played James Bond in the London Olympics opening ceremony last year in which he and another stuntman dressed as the Queen parachuted from a helicopter into the venue.

Sutton was the "wingman" to Gary Connery, who last year became the first person to survive jumping out of a helicopter at more than 2000 feet without deploying a parachute. Connery used a wing-diving suit instead.

Police are investigating the incident.

the 'Queen' who jumped out of the helicopter during #olympics #openingceremony pic.twitter.com/X5nqTnjb

— Ella McSweeney (@ellamcsweeney) July 29, 2012