A Mission Beach mother-of-eight was one of three skydivers killed in a freak skydiving accident.
Kerri Pike, 50, the wife of former Cassowary Coast Councillor Alister Pike, was tandem skydiving with a highly experienced instructor with Skydive Mission Beach when the collision occurred Friday afternoon.
The skydive was a 50th birthday present for Mrs Pike from her husband and children.
Her body, and the bodies of two experienced instructors, Peter Dawson and Toby Turner, were found on a banana farm and in the garden of a nearby house.
Queensland Ambulance Service operations supervisor Neil Noble said the skydivers were pronounced dead at the scene.
“We had a report of a skydiver who had been found in the garden at a residence in Mission Beach,” he said.
“Paramedics attended to the scene and unfortunately his injuries were so severe he was declared deceased at the scene. Shortly thereafter, we received another report of another two skydivers that had been found close by and unfortunately their injuries were equally fatal and they were also declared deceased at the scene.”
The Mission Beach jump site is popular with locals and tourists, with Skydive Australia completing between 15,000 and 20,000 jumps per year at the location.
Skydive Australia spokesman Anthony Ritter said it was the company’s first tandem skydiving fatality.
Police said there had been three other tandem jumpers on the same flight, but they all landed safely.
Mr Dawson and Mr Turner were close friends, both in their 30s, and highly experienced skydivers who had completed thousands of jumps.
The incident — believed to be one of the state’s worst skydiving accidents — has shattered the far north Queensland community, with eyewitnesses telling of the horror and helplessness of watching the fall unfold.
A spokesman for Skydive Australia said the company extended its “deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences” to those involved as well as their families and the skydiving community.
Skydiving has been suspended while authorities investigate.
Senior police said video evidence will be crucial to establishing what went wrong.
“We believe there may be footage from cameras on the ground or even from the aircraft they jumped out of,” Cassowary Coast police Insp Steve Kersley said.
“This may help give us some idea of what happened.’’
The Australian Parachute Federation (APF) is conducting an investigation on behalf of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Workplace Health and Safety.
The APF will prepare a report to the coroner following their investigation.
APF chief executive officer Brad Turner said initial findings were that a collision occurred, but that the exact cause of the incident was not yet known.
“Investigators have been working through the night and are expected to continue for several days to identify the most likely cause of this tragic accident,” he said.
“Our thoughts are with the deceased family, friends and broader community,” Mr Turner said.
“We thank everyone for their understanding and patience as investigations continue into the cause of this very sad and tragic event.”
