3 dead in parachuting accident

[fly_tornado]

Three people have died during skydiving incident at Mission Beach

 

The Cairns Post

 

21 minutes ago

 

THREE people have died after a horror skydiving incident at Mission Beach this afternoon.

 

Emergency services were called after 3pm to Alexander Drive following reports three people had suffered critical injuries.

 

It is understood the incident involves two men and a woman and at least one of the group is an instructor.

 

All three were declared dead by paramedics at the scene.

 

 

[MartyG]

Very sad news for all, Condolences to all involved.

 

 

[farri]

Fair bit of info and photos,here!

 

No Cookies | The Courier Mail

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Really sad.. Condolences to everyone affected.

 

 

[winsor68]

I wonder if they collided in free fall or had deployed? I hope they were unconscious before they reached the ground.

 

 

[Dieselten]

Collision in freefall apparently. Tandem-Master and Camerman both knocked unconscious, camerman's AAD did not activate, he became tangled in the tandem drogue-bridle, the tandem AAD activated but the reserve became tangled with drogue-bridle etc and all three died. Heavy blow for the skydiving fraternity so soon after the double fatality at Picton in July.

 

 

[shafs64]

I read that the woman's family purchased the skydive as a 50th birthday gift.

 

 

[Head in the clouds]

Brad Turner (APF & former captain of the Australian skydiving team which won the World Titles around 1988) was just on the news saying that the videos stopped after the free-fall meet-up but prior to the collision, which is very unfortunate, making it much less likely that they'll be able to determine the exact sequence of events that caused this horrible outcome.

 

So sad for the families of all concerned.

 

 

[BJFly]

Fractions of a second count in parachuting. Several years ago I was involved in a similar incident. During my deployment I suffered a collision with an unseen team member still in FF. The only reason that my case wasn't fatal was the difference of a fraction of a second. My collision occurred as my canopy was still in its deployment bag, hence the speed differential whilst horrendous wasn't fatal. We both survived although I suffered permanent spinal injuries and spent the next two years in and out of hospital and wearing a brace. Fractions of a second! RIP..

 

 

[Dieselten]

APF Interim Fatality Report now issued. Situation is a little more complex - and baffling - than I described above. A freefall collison appears likely, but canopies did open; the tandem reserve canopy and both the main and reserve for the solo jumper. Severe injuries to the two jumpers consistent with freefall collision, but the solo jumper also descended to the ground under a "down-plane" at a high rate of descent which may have contributed to his demise. Tandem pair located at the base of a tree with severe injuries and pronounced dead at scene.

 

This is a very complex accident and the investigation is likely to take some time. Losing skydivers with perfectly good canopies open is something which indicates the jumpers were so severely incapacitated they were unable to take control, even after the AADs had done their usually-lifesaving work.

 

 

[Oksinay]

We had a fatal incident many years ago at Corowa, where a photographer opened underneath a really large formation as it was breaking up. The photographer was severely injured, but the jumper that hit him was killed. The impact opened his reserve which he landed under. It was awful.