Skydiver separation is ‘standard’

Tyler Nii
Tyler Nii
A top New Zealand parachuting safety expert says it is standard practice around the world for tandem skydivers to separate when they make an emergency landing in water.

Mark Horning, safety director of the New Zealand Parachute Industry Association, is in Queenstown  helping with the investigation into Wednesday’s accident.

Tyler Nii (27), of California, is missing, presumed dead, after he and his tandem-skydiving instructor plunged into Lake Wakatipu while on a jump with skydive firm NZONE.

The NZONE instructor was rescued from the water 20 minutes later with only minor bruises.

Mr Horning said NZONE’s emergency water-landing procedures would be contained within its "approved exposition" within Civil Aviation Regulation part 115, which covers adventure aviation.

The parachute industry association does not have access to the exposition.

"Standard practice around the world would be for the tandem pair to utilise their flotation device and disconnect from each other in the event of a water landing, as staying connected would make it more difficult for each person to swim," he said.

Both men were wearing lifejackets, the company said.

Why  Mr Nii  drowned, if that was indeed the case, will form part of the investigation by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.

The Wellington-based  police national dive squad was due to arrive in Queenstown yesterday and begin the search for Mr Nii. The squad has previously said it would be a complex search because the water is 250m deep in parts in the Kingston arm of the lake.

The use of  Royal New Zealand Navy sonar equipment is  being considered, although it is not yet clear whether navy officers or sailors will  come to the resort to operate it or whether the dive squad will borrow the equipment.

NZONE, which had voluntarily suspended operations after Wednesday’s accident, resumed operations yesterday, Radio New Zealand reported.

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