Saturday afternoon Glen Alex Coleman, age 34, was performing a solo skydive at EP Skydivers Grahamstown when things took a turn for the worse.
Saturday afternoon Glen Alex Coleman, age 34, was performing a solo skydive at EP Skydivers Grahamstown when things took a turn for the worse.
He was attempting a high speed swoop landing, a maneuver involving a high speed landing approach before levelling off a short distance from the ground. The skydiver enters a gliding motion and can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h. Unnamed witnesses said Coleman’s approach turn was initiated too low and instead of swooping he hit the ground at high speed. He sustained multiple injuries and was rushed to Settlers Hospital and later transfered to Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth. He passed away on Sunday.
Glen is a former member of the British Red Devils, a British parachute regiment, and was an experienced skydiver with more than 2 900 jumps. His body was cremated in Port Elizabeth earlier in the week. A memorial service will be held for him on Tuesday at the Alberton Methodist Church in Johannesburg. M Bellingan, National Safety and Training Officer for the Parachute Association of South Africa, will be conducting a full investigation.
