A former Scotland rugby international died in a tragic tandem paragliding accident in South Africa on Monday 3 July.
Greig Oliver, a 58-year-old former Scotland rugby international player, died after he and his pilot landed under reserve in the surf-zone near Sea Point Promenade, the landing area for pilots flying from Signal Hill in Cape Town.
Initial reports said two tandem pilots and their passengers had collided while flying. One tandem pilot landed safely on the ground, while the other went down under reserve into the sea.
Emergency services were immediately alerted, and a full-scale rescue operation swung into action. Tragically, Oliver did not survive.
According to a statement from South Africa’s National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) the alarm was raised at 4.28pm local time.
They said that two tandem paragliders had collided above Sea Point Promenade. One tandem pilot landed safely with their passenger, while the second tandem pilot deployed a reserve. That pilot and passenger landed “200 to 300 metres” offshore.
The rescue mobilised services including NSRI rescue craft, rescue swimmers, South African Police, local emergency responders, ambulance and fire services.
In a statement the NSRI said: “On arrival on the scene the adult male pilot of the tandem paraglider (that had reportedly deployed the reserve parachute) was safely on the shore and he was treated for minor injuries. The tandem passenger, a 58 year old Irish man, was on rocks in the water off-shore of the Sea Point Promenade.
“NSRI rescue swimmers and paramedics reached the man and he was freed from paragliding gear and recovered onto rocks where CPR efforts commenced. Despite extensive CPR efforts he was sadly declared deceased by paramedics.”
The body was recovered to the shoreline and taken into the care of police.
The South African Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association confirmed the facts of the incident. In a statement they said: “Two tandem pilots had a mid-air collision, causing one pilot to deploy his reserve and land in the breaking waves with his passenger.
“The passenger subsequently drowned, and the pilot was treated for minor injuries. Several pilots also assisted with the rescue and were treated for injuries afterwards.
They added: “The rescue was co-ordinated by the Aeronautical Rescue Co-ordination Centre (ARCC), with the rescue effort being conducted by the NSRI. SAHPA is gathering evidence and witness reports and has handed the matter to the Accident and Incident Investigations Division for further investigation.”
Louis Stanford, spokesperson for SAHPA, said: “Paragliding is simultaneously a challenging and rewarding sport, however it does have inherent risks. The sport is well-regulated and safety is always a primary consideration. As this matter has been referred for further investigation, we cannot speculate on this accident.”
He added: “We are grateful to the fellow pilots and members of the public who raced to help the pilot and his passenger and the NSRI for completing the rescue in challenging conditions. We also express our sorrow and condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.”
According to the BBC Greig Oliver was in South Africa supporting his son Jack and the Ireland squad during the World Rugby U20 Championships.
Pilots or witnesses who saw the incident are asked to contact the SAHPA.
