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Emergency services at the scene of Saturday’s fatal skydiving incident. Photo / Cameron Avery
Police have named the man who died in a skydiving accident in Tauranga yesterday as Theo Williams, 21, of Hamilton.
Williams has been described by the skydiving company as an experienced skydiver who was completing a solo jump after a normal free fall and a safe parachute opening.
A friend paid tribute to Williams on social media as the “funniest, most sincere, most dedicated and most understanding person.”
“It is a privilege to have met you. You made the world a better place. I will always miss you and love you like a brother.
A witness to Saturday’s crash has described watching in horror as Williams collapsed to the ground.
Maree Conayne told the Herald that she was with her family at the slip school near the Tauranga airport yesterday when the tragedy unfolded.
“We were at the gliding club waiting to get on the plane … we saw some skydivers get off well and then we saw a tandem and another going down,” he said.
“The bottom one just started spinning and came down very, very fast. The ground just shook.”
She said her parachute had deployed but appeared “deflated” and did not appear to be taking a breath.
“That’s when it started spinning like a corkscrew.”
Conayne said a young man came running up and started trying to wake the victim.
“The airport fire truck, they were doing training, they came and right away they started doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.”
But firefighters “were already shaking their heads,” he said.
More firefighters soon appeared and continued CPR for some time, before Williams was loaded onto a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance. He died on the way to the Tauranga Hospital.
Emergency services were called to the airport on Kittyhawk Way at 10.33 a.m. Saturday after reports that a paratrooper had crashed.
On Sunday, police said that while the coroner would make the last call, it did not appear that the death was the result of a medical event, as previously reported.
Worksafe and the Civil Aviation Authority have been notified.
“The police continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident on behalf of the coroner.
“The police extend their condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Williams.”
Skydive Tauranga director and co-owner Donnie Banez issued a statement expressing the company’s sadness.
“Skydive Tauranga is saddened by the accident that occurred on Saturday in which a skydiver with experience in only one sport was killed.
“I was completing a solo jump, and after a normal free fall and a safe parachute opening, the sporty skydiver sustained injuries upon landing.
“All the information has been passed on to the appropriate authorities.
“He is a valued member of our parachute family, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
“We have organized ongoing support for our team, and a private karakia was held to honor his memory.”
The Civil Aviation Authority has launched a security investigation and will send two investigators to Tauranga tomorrow to begin gathering information.
“We will not know more until they arrive,” said a spokesman.