Three local Mission Beach skydivers killed in a freak skydiving accident in 2017, a coroner has found that they died instantly in a mid-air collision.
The coroner has found that Toby Turner’s parachute had opened prematurely during a solo skydive, causing Toby to collide with tandem skydiving pair Kerri Pike and Tandem Master Peter Dawson at high speed.
The accident happened over Mission Beach on 13 October 2017 to the shock family, close friends and the whole Mission Beach community, where we all loss three amazing community members.
Toby, who was an experienced professional skydiver with a great amount of jumps already done, had joined the people skydiving at the very last minute as there was a spare seat on the plane.
As Toby was a professional skydiver, he was allowed to pack his own parachute and pre-check his own equipment, Coroner Nerida Wilson said in her findings.
Coroner Wilson said Mr Turner made an “error of judgement” by using a parachute container that was too large.
Coroner Wilson referred to a lack of regulation for solo sports jumpers in her findings.
“There is a culture in the skydiving industry which allows those with experience to self-regulate with regard to downsizing and container compatibility,” Ms Wilson said.
Ms Wilson’s report found that blood on the parachutes and corresponding damage meant it was most likely all three had suffered non-survivable injuries when they collided at extremely high speed mid-air.
Toby had jumped from the plane just before Kerri and Peter left the plane, meaning that when Toby’s parachute deployed too early, it forced him into the path of Kerri & Peter who were above Toby at the time.
The three skydivers had collided mid-air with a closing speed at around 200km/h, resulting in significant head and neck injuries, an autopsy found.
Lorraine Thompson was fishing at Clump Point on the day, said she knew something was wrong.
“I had a bad feeling because I could see a silver object falling between two skydivers which is unusual,” she said.
“Then I saw both parachutes didn’t open, they were just crumpled up and flapping as the people fell.”
She said the incident was terrible.
“I watched them until they dropped behind the trees,’’ she said.
Coroner Wilson recommendations urged skydiving groups in Australia to introduce stricter equipment checks and to stop allowing professional skydivers to check their own equipment.
Ms Wilson also made several recommendations, including to implement mandatory day-to-day buddy checks prior to boarding the plane and six-month equipment checks on all sports rigs
“It is hoped that the coronial process and the recommendations I have made will assist in avoiding such a tragic accident from occurring again.”
“This was a tragic accident, which resulted in the deaths of three much-loved community members from the Mission Beach area,” she said.
Australian Parachute Federation, which regulates sports skydiving in Australia, said the findings would frame the introduction of new safety measures.
The APF has increased the number of safety personnel in Australia since the deaths and they will review and consider all formal findings and recommendations issued by the Coroner
It’s important to remember, It was a freak accident that lead to Kerri, Toby & Peter losing there life’s in 2017 and any improvements to make skydiving safer is to the benefit of the community.
In the long history of skydiving in Mission Beach until this freak accident, the company Skydive Australia had one of the best safety records around the world, conducting well over one million tandem skydives.
Skydive Australia spokesman Anthony Ritter said “it was the company’s first tandem skydiving fatality”.
Mr Ritter said the company extended its “deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to those involved, as well as their families and the skydiving community”.
While this accident should never be forgotten, as the community of Mission Beach will never forget Kerri, Toby & Peter, the skydiving industry as a whole needs to change for the better to ensure the risks are heavily reduced, so this will never happen again.
Mission Beach News has not asked any family members or friends for any comments out of respect, if any family or friends would like to add any comments, please contact us.
If this story has raised any personal concerns call Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
