'Gwill just breathed life': Kiwi thrill-seeker's friends pay tribute from across the globe

Friends from around the world have paid tribute to a Kiwi thrill-seeker who died in a wingsuit accident in Switzerland "doing what he loved".

Gwillym Hewetson died after something went wrong as he glided down a Swiss mountain in a wingsuit, a high-risk adrenalin activity similar to base jumping.

The 37-year-old film editor lived in London, but was born in New Hampshire in the United States, before moving to Hastings, New Zealand, when he was 16.

Kiwi Gwillym Hewetson (left) with his good friend Tom Whitcomb and his family. Photo / File

Childhood friend Tom Whitcomb said he was "probably his oldest friend".

"[Growing up in New Hampshire] we were attached at the hip, up until he moved to New Zealand during high school."

The pair always kept in touch, and did many trips around the globe together.

Whitcomb never went skydiving with his friend, although he did try his best to convince him.

"I'm about as risk averse as they come," Whitcomb said.

"I was planning to meet up with him in Europe next year with my family. Hopefully hike with him up to his jump off points and see what it was all about."

Kiwi Gwillym Hewetson with his good friend Tom Whitcomb's son Jefferson. Photo / Supplied

Whitcomb said his good friend's thirst for life had even inspired him to resign from his corporate gig three weeks ago to spend more time with family and friends.

"Gwill just breathed life," Whitcomb said.

"I really think he created more memories in his 37 years than most people do in their lifetime.

"Every time I talked with him he was so happy, so passionate about what he was doing. It was infectious."

Whitcomb said Hewetson "hit it off" with his son Jefferson when they met last year, even teaching the then 3-year-old basic rock climbing.

"He pushed him to climb to heights that made me squirm as a protective father.

"I trusted Gwill, and he was always behind Jefferson supporting him, protecting him from a fall. Jefferson absolutely loved it and still talks about it a year later.

"He pushed those around him to live life and get outside their comfort zones. He did that for me when we were growing up and 25 years later he was doing it for my son."

Kiwi thrill-seeker Gwillym Hewetson took a photo of the Swiss scenery moments before he jumped to his death. Photo / Gwillym Hewetson

Moments before the fateful jump, Hewetson sent his mother Robyn Hewetson an idyllic photo of the scene. She said she would be framing his last photo to her as a legacy to the larger than life adventures he loved.

Robyn Hewetson, who lives in Hawke's Bay, said her son was adventurous from a young age.

One day he just started sky diving.

"He went from skydiving to base jumping, and from base jumping to wingsuiting."

Robyn Hewetson and her son Gwillym during their last visit together, when he told her 'you're the bravest woman I know, you taught me to be brave'. Photo / Supplied

Robyn Hewetson said her favourite memory of her son was earlier this year, when she saw him in Hawaii, where he was working as a professional skydiver.

"On February 21st this year, we did a tandem jump."

She said there was no way she would jump out of a plane with anyone else.

After the jump, the pair sat on the beach and ate fish tacos, when Hewetson said something to his mother.

"He said, 'look Ma, I know you think you're frightened, you think you are a frightened person, but I watched you, I watched up growing up, you brought us up by yourself in a foreign country'."

"He said, 'you're the bravest woman I know, you taught me to be brave'."

The time in Hawaii was the last time they saw each other.

His plan was to jump until age 40, and then he was going to settle down in Melbourne and start his own company.

For Hewetson, the jumping wasn't about an adrenaline rush, it was about moments of mindfulness and peacefulness.

"He wasn't ever scared when he did it," his sister Frith Hewetson said.

Despite him being away so much, he was incredibly close to her two sons, Rowan and Thaeo.

"After Mum and Dad, Uncle Gwill was number one."