A Queenstown man was injured when he hit a cliff face while
base jumping in Skippers Canyon early yesterday morning.
Acting Sergeant Terry Wood, of Queenstown, said the jumper
was 40-year-old Christopher Judice.
He was believed to be an experienced base jumper and
skydiving jump master.
Mr Judice had gone to the Pipeline Bridge in Skippers Canyon
with a friend to do the base jump before 7am.
Acting Sgt Wood said the parachute opened correctly when he
jumped off the 102m high bridge, but Mr Judice hit the cliff
face about 30m above the canyon and plunged into the river,
landing in about 30cm of water.
He was able to drag himself on to a sandbank, where he waited
for his friend to get help.
Mr Judice was assessed at the scene, appearing to have cuts
and bruises and a possible dislocated or broken pelvis.
He was airlifted to Southland Hospital in Invercargill, and a
spokesperson said this afternoon he was in a stable condition
awaiting surgery.
