Thaivisa Exclusive: Safety all above board at Pattaya skydive centre where British man died

[webfact]

Thaivisa Exclusive: Safety all above board at Pattaya skydive centre where British man died

 

James McConnell. Photo: Daily Record

 

PATTAYA: -- There was not a failure of safety standards at a skydiving centre near Pattaya where a British man tragically died, a source close to the matter has told Thaivisa.

 

Popular expat James McConnell, 69, plunged to his death on Thursday while taking part in a skydive at the Thai Sky Adventures diving centre.

 

However, it is believed that Mr McConnell suffered a heart attack soon after jumping from the plane, and this, rather than a failure of safety, was what resulted in his death, Thaivisa understands.

 

Mr McConnell, who has more than 40 years diving experience had been doing what is known as a 5 way formation skydive.

 

As is standard during the formation, divers break off at 5,000ft before deploying their parachute at 3,500ft.

 

Eyewitnesses said Mr McConnell appeared to lose consciousness, causing him to drift onto his back.

 

Mr McConnell then made no attempt to deploy his parachute at 3,500ft. However, he did manage to pull his reserve chute moments later.

 

Mr McConnell then failed to release his steering toggles and consequently drifted with the wind into the water, the source told Thaivisa.

 

Although the response from people on the ground and emergency services was immediate, CPR failed to revive Mr McConnell and was pronounced dead a short time later in hospital.

 

An investigation remains underway but because safety has not been breached, Thai Sky Adventures will be open again on Saturday.

 

Mr McConnell was a much loved member of the skydiving community in Pattaya and people who knew him are still trying to come to terms with his tragic death, the source told Thaivisa.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-05-05

[wakeupplease]

Eyewitnesses said Mr McConnell appeared to lose consciousness, causing him to drift onto his back.

 

Mr McConnell then made no attempt to deploy his parachute at 3,500ft. However, he did manage to pull his reserve chute moments later.

 

RIP Sounds like you had a good life and your son is very proud of you from reports I read here.

 

But something is not right.

[CARLIN]

2 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

 

2 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

 

But something is not right.

Away You Go Then!

Enlighten

[gk10002000]

he managed to pull the reserve chute?  interesting.  Wonder if he did that out of gut reaction and experience realizing something was wrong.  Still seems a bit odd that he wouldn't do the main.  But the eye witness accounts reported here do seem to suggest he wasn't acting properly so maybe he did have a mild stroke or siezure or attack

[Pattaya46]

36 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

he managed to pull the reserve chute?  interesting. 

Even that we don't know.

More and more skydivers are equipped with an automatic activation system that will open the reserve parachute if "too fast too low". Maybe he had that?

[PremiumLane]

4 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

But something is not right

Oh Christ, don't unleash the TVF super sleuths 

[postal]

3 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

 

More and more skydivers are equipped with an automatic activation system that will open the reserve parachute if "too fast too low". Maybe he had that?

 

Almost all skydivers have this device, either CYPRES or Virgil. It is mandatory at most dropzones, and i can't think of any Student or Tandem today jumping without one.

 

All the sport jumpers i know have one. It should never activate, and i would stop jumping if mine would fire.

 

Here is an example of two jumpers saved by this device. Both had totally "forgotten" that there is limited time for freefall, and they did not check altitude:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAZXF1UZ1Yg

 

The device will open the reserve, but of course this might not always save the jumper. A landing without toggle inputs might still be bad, worse if he lands in water. This is the 0,0001% risk you can't avoid.

 

[TheFishman1]

I did not think they say the place did not have all safety issues in place TIT

[Jonmarleesco]

'An investigation remains underway but because safety has not been breached, Thai Sky Adventures will be open again on Saturday.' With an investigation still in progress, how the hell can they be so sure safety wasn't compromised? But TiT, where what's above board matters less than what lies below.

[wvavin]

Business as usual even investigation is in progress. Speechless!

[FitnessHealthTravel]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

Mr McConnell then made no attempt to deploy his parachute at 3,500ft. However, he did manage to pull his reserve chute moments later.

 

So he woke up, pulled the reserve? I'm not a Skydiver but he sounded experienced so why wouldn't he have pulled the main cute?  Anyway RIP.

[jaiyen]

15 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

Even that we don't know.

More and more skydivers are equipped with an automatic activation system that will open the reserve parachute if "too fast too low". Maybe he had that?

A Cypres Automatic Deployment  device has been compulsory for many years. He must have it.

[postal]

4 hours ago, wvavin said:

Business as usual even investigation is in progress. Speechless!

 

There is not much to investigate. Sports jumper with own equipment, there is nothing more they can investigate. For fellow skydivers, it might be helpfull to learn from accidents that happen. But with a stroke/heart attack, there is just nothing you can do, as this seamed not to be an equipment problem or negligence. 

 

It is possible for experienced jumpers to deploy some other jumpers main canopy, but this is never trained and might create other problems.

 

 

3 hours ago, FitnessHealthTravel said:

So he woke up, pulled the reserve? I'm not a Skydiver but he sounded experienced so why wouldn't he have pulled the main cute?  Anyway RIP.

 

If he is unconscious, it is unlikley he pulled the reserve himself. If he woke up, and would not be sure about his altitute, he would use the reserve to prevent a two out situation, as the reserve might be deployed be the automatic device. Unlike sometimes seen in movies, the freefall lasts about a minute from 4000m to 1000m, so there is not much time to wake up.

 

It is more likely the AAD fired, and he landed with the reserve and no toggle inputs. This can be checked, because the ADD cuts the loop that closes the reserve cointainer.

 

 

[abab]

Did the owner reply on the phone this time ?

 

 

[roo860]

 
If he is unconscious, it is unlikley he pulled the reserve himself. If he woke up, and would not be sure about his altitute, he would use the reserve to prevent a two out situation, as the reserve might be deployed be the automatic device. Unlike sometimes seen in movies, the freefall lasts about a minute from 4000m to 1000m, so there is not much time to wake up.
 
It is more likely the AAD fired, and he landed with the reserve and no toggle inputs. This can be checked, because the ADD cuts the loop that closes the reserve cointainer.
 
 

Good to see posts by someone who knows skydiving, some of the daft posts I saw in the other thread were typical of people who know nothing about this sport .

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Stargeezr]

Sky diving is just one of the sports in life that I do not plan to do. Bungie jumping, Zip Lining  Standing on the edge of a high cliff or the

edge of the Grande Canyon  for a selfie  are other things that I try to avoid.  Boring  I know  but I am still around and hope to  be

for several years yet.

Geeze

[balo]

69 years old , not surprised he had a heart condition . What is there to investigate ?  RIP: 

 

[mikebell]

22 minutes ago, balo said:

69 years old , not surprised he had a heart condition . What is there to investigate ?  RIP: 

 

Why would you have a heart condition at reaching the age of 69?  I'm 74 and play one hour's table-tennis per weekday + run + swim + weights + sit-ups.  I might have a heart condition if I were to jump out of a plane tho'.

[abab]

8 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Sky diving is just one of the sports in life that I do not plan to do. Bungie jumping, Zip Lining  Standing on the edge of a high cliff or the

edge of the Grande Canyon  for a selfie  are other things that I try to avoid.  Boring  I know  but I am still around and hope to  be

for several years yet.

Geeze

 

 

Exactly ! And I will call us smart !

 

 

[balo]

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

Why would you have a heart condition at reaching the age of 69?  I'm 74 and play one hour's table-tennis

It's just the risk factor at that age, We don't know what kind of life he lived so it will only be speculations.  I have been told to take an aspirin per day to prevent strokes and I'm in my 50's, when you get older you just have to accept the risks.  

 

 

 

 

[The Deerhunter]

On 2017-5-6 at 1:27 PM, jaiyen said:

A Cypres Automatic Deployment  device has been compulsory for many years. He must have it.

So he probably did NOT "wake up and pull the reserve chute."  It probably happened automatically.  Probably nothing amiss then.  Just one exciting jump too many for his 69yo heart. Some of us better be aware that heart attacks etc can happen when we are doing the exciting things we mostly still enjoy and can happen at most inconvenient times when we are in that age bracket.  Not all of us would be coming down over water when the ticker decided to fail.  Remember to have the defibrillator handy when doing anything too exciting.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2017 by The Deerhunter

[Pattaya46]

On ‎06‎/‎05‎/‎2017 at 1:27 PM, jaiyen said:

A Cypres Automatic Deployment  device has been compulsory for many years.

Do you skydive in Thailand? I don't know rules here.

AAD mandatory in (most?) western countries, yes.

[postal]

7 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

Do you skydive in Thailand? I don't know rules here.

AAD mandatory in (most?) western countries, yes.

 

The dropzone policy says: AAD required

 

ThaiSky FAQ

 

Unlike with seat belts, where from time to time someone might say "theese things cost more live then they save", no skydiver doubts that AADs save lives and it is a good thing to have one. The prevalance of ADDs is almost 100%, with only a few odd cases who jump without. The two cases i realized, both in the USA, were for financial reasons: An ADD adds about 1200 USD to the price of the rig.

 

19 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Sky diving is just one of the sports in life that I do not plan to do.

 

The decicion to try it is a personal one, and the decicion not to jump is respected, even among the skydivers. Nobody will try to persuade you, as we know there might always come that one day where, despite your training and top notch gear, shit just hits the fan.

 

For me, opening high on the sunset load, on a warm day, just flying the canopy, is a thing that i don't want to miss. But i could do without the lunatic pickup drivers on the way to the dropzone. :-)

 

 

 

 

 

[Khon Kaen Dave]

22 hours ago, mikebell said:

Why would you have a heart condition at reaching the age of 69?  I'm 74 and play one hour's table-tennis per weekday + run + swim + weights + sit-ups.  I might have a heart condition if I were to jump out of a plane tho'.

I think i would have a brown trousers problem if i did it