Connewarre, Victoria: Skydiver, 34, dies in horror accident in second death to rock the region

A young man has tragically died in a horror skydiving accident in Victoria. 

The experienced skydiver was part of a group who jumped from a plane in Connewarre, 70km southwest of Melbourne, on Sunday morning. 

The 34-year-old man sadly died at the scene just off Breamlea Road – marking the second parachuting death to rock the region in 12 months. 

A second man landed in the same area at about 10:30am, but was uninjured.

It’s understood it was the man’s first jump in a wingsuit –  a special jumpsuit that allows the flyer more time in the air due to the body’s increased surface area. 

The pair were participating with Australian Skydive which operates from Torquay Airport – about 20km south of Geelong, the Geelong Advertiser reports. 

The company said the cause of the incident was still being determined. 

‘An experienced jumper in his 30s has died as a result of a parachute accident. The cause is under investigation by the Australian Parachute Federation,’ it read.

‘As I am sure you are aware, parachuting can be an inherently dangerous sport, and our thoughts and love go out to his family and friends at this time.’

Australian Parachute Federation CEO Richard McCooey said the man had completed 300 jumps and had been under the supervision of an experienced tutor. 

‘We know very little beyond that at this stage, although it appears the man failed to deploy either of his parachutes,’ he said. 

It follows the death of an skydiving instructor in 2021, after a tandem jump ended in disaster when the parachute failed to open. 

Police will prepare a report for the Coroner with training and safety officers to undertake a thorough investigation at the scene.