Hong Kong ( CNN ) -- The body of a Hungarian daredevil `` wingsuit flier '' has been found a day after he plunged into a remote valley in northwestern China during a practice flight ahead of the World Championships . Rescuers discovered Victor Kovats with a smashed skull at the foot of a 100-meter ( 328-foot ) cliff in Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park in Zhangjiajie on Wednesday , according to China 's state-run Xinhua news agency . An investigation is now underway , though rescuers believe Kovats crashed into the cliff when his parachute failed to deploy . Wingsuit flying is an extremely hazardous sport where participants glide through the air wearing a specially constructed suit with fabric under the arms and legs to slow the rate of descent . Much like skydiving , the flight ends with the deployment of a parachute . `` We are deeply saddened by Victor Kovats 's passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents and friends during these difficult times , '' read a statement on the website of the Red Bull World Wingsuit League ( WWL ) , which organizes the competition . `` He will be always be remembered for his deep passion for life and his spirit of adventure , and he will always be sadly missed in the wingsuit community . '' Skydiver found dead after jump in Tennessee . Difficult terrain . Kovats jumped at 2:51 p.m. local time , according to Xinhua . Witnesses then lost sight of Kovats after his parachute appeared to fail . Three other fliers successfully completed trial jumps at the time . Nearly 200 firefighters and policemen were involved in the search operation , which was hampered by difficult terrain , according to Xinhua . Kovats , a three-time Hungarian national champion , had completed 700 jumps . He was also an experienced skydiver and base jumper . The organizers have not yet said if the event -- in its second year and scheduled to begin on October 11 -- will go ahead . The inaugural World Wingsuit Championships were held at Tianmen Mountain 's 700-meter ( 2,300-foot ) cliffs last year with 15 fliers from nine countries . Kovats is the latest in a line of wingsuit fatalities . In August , a British stuntman , who parachuted in dressed as James Bond during the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony , died after hitting a cliff while jumping in a wingsuit from a helicopter in Switzerland . Mark Sutton , 42 , and another man jumped from a height of about 3,300 meters ( 10,826 feet ) in the Grandes-Otannes area in the Alps , near the border with France , a police statement said . Skydiving instructor dies , student critically injured after jump gone awry .
Victor Kovats found with a smashed skull at the foot of a 100-meter ( 328-foot ) cliff in China . It 's thought his parachute failed to deploy after a wingsuit flight , though an investigation is underway . The man was wearing a helmet and had been flying for about 20 minutes when he lost control over the cliff. Wingsuit flying sees participants glide through the air wearing a specially constructed suit .