Steve Truglia (3 October 1962 – 17 November 2016) was a stunt coordinator, stunt performer and action unit director in the UK. He became a TED speaker in 2009. Truglia died while attempting to abseil from a helicopter. Career Truglia served as a reservist in the UK Special Forces for twenty years. Truglia became a professional stuntman in 1996. His motion picture stunt credits included Saving Private Ryan and two James Bond films. Truglia set multiple records, including: The longest Full Body Burn in the UK, ablaze for 2 minutes 5 seconds (unofficial record). British record (2002) for no limits freediving (breath hold diving) – . Awarded Guinness World Record in 2004 for fastest abseil over (8.9 seconds). Truglia made a fundraising attempt for a world-record high altitude parachute jump from the edge of space, to surpass what was then Joe Kittinger's 1960 record. Truglia's plan was to jump from in a spacesuit. He did not attempt the stunt prior to his death. Death Truglia died on 17 November 2016 while attempting a world record speed abseil from a helicopter above Chongqing. See also Parachuting Yevgeni Andreyev Felix Baumgartner Charles "Nish" Bruce Alan Eustace Michel Fournier Joseph Kittinger Nick Piantanida Cheryl Stearns References External links Official stunt website, archived 7 March 2016 Card Shark Show website, archived 20 November 2016 Stars of Vegas website Space Jump website, archived 19 September 2015 IMDB Profile, archived 17 February 2017 Media Article in The Times Jan 2010 A video of a talk in July 2009 at the TED Global Conference in Oxford, UK about technological improvements in stunts and his forthcoming parachute jump from the edge of space, in his own words, "...the greatest stunt on earth." breaks World's largest Loop the Loop Car Stunt High Fall Nominated for TV Award Article Freediving Article Stunts in TV Reconstruction of SAS Siege for Discovery Newspaper Article Interviewed for Times Newspaper Stunt Article Feature Article on Autotrader Website Feature Article on James Bond Fan Website EyeForFilm.co.uk interview September 2007 Card Shark Show in The Independent 1962 births 2016 deaths Military personnel from London Accidental deaths from falls Accidental deaths in the People's Republic of China Bodyguards British Army Commandos soldiers British freedivers British skydivers British stunt performers English people of Italian descent Royal Artillery soldiers Special Boat Service personnel Sportspeople from London