Two Skydivers Die in 'Freak Accident' After Falling From Plane

An experienced skydiver and another man died in an accident in Australia over the weekend after falling out of a plane.

Police in Goulburn, a city in New South Wales, Australia, told The Sydney Morning Herald that the emergency services were called to Goulburn Airport at about 12:50 p.m. on Sunday.

The authorities said in a statement that once they arrived at the scene officers discovered that two male parachutists in their thirties had fallen from an aircraft operated by Adrenalin Skydive Goulburn.

The men were unresponsive when they were found by the authorities and they couldn't be revived. Family members who were at the facility to watch the dive were comforted by police and the center's staff members, according to the Goulburn Post.

Scott Marshall, a spokesperson for the center, described the incident as a "freak accident," as he told the Herald that everyone at the facility was in shock following the two deaths.

"We lost one of our tandem instructors and a customer today and everyone here, their heart goes out to their family and friends," Marshall said, as he added that it had been a "really tough day."

He confirmed that the instructor had completed over 2,500 skydives, and said that "safety is paramount here and it was not a result of anything that the instructor did. It was one of those freak occurrences.

"The younger man, from what I heard, was really looking forward to it. I was talking to his mates and they said he really loved the adrenalin."

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will investigate the incident alongside Hume Police District officers to determine the circumstances surrounding the accident, while the Australian Parachute Federation will conduct its own separate investigation.

The Post reported that there have now been 4 skydiving fatalities at the airport since November 2015, as one man died that month and another was involved in a fatal accident in December 2015.

In May 2021, world renowned skydiver Carl Daugherty, 76, died in Florida after a freak mid-air collision with another person during a jump.

Daugherty, who had completed around 20,000 jumps, collided with another skydiver when they both had their parachutes open, NBC affiliate, WESH 2 News reported.

The person Daugherty collided with was able to regain control of their parachute and land safely, but he was unable to do the same and fell to his death from 500 feet, landing in the parking lot at DeLand Municipal Airport in Volusia County.

Bob Hallett, owner of Skydive DeLand, where Daugherty was director of safety and training, said that "this has been a real...kick in the stomach for all of us," and confirmed that the company received "condolences from every corner of the earth."

Newsweek has contacted the Hume Police District and Adrenalin Skydive Goulburn for comment.