By Tom McCrae
Speedflyer Sean Kerridge died at Treble Cone, just outside Wanaka, yesterday when he crash landed. Today the adrenalin junky is being remembered as an energetic, motivated man who was a good decision maker under stress.
Slicing just centimetres past cliff faces at 120 kilometres an hour is what gets speedflyers going, but it was the rush of adrenalin that was also the undoing of Sean Kerridge.
“He was a conscientious, motivated and very good decision making pilot who didn't seem to be too headstrong or to take overt risks. He'll be sorely missed,” says fellow speedflyer Mal Haskins.
The sport of speedflying is a cross between paragliding and skydiving, and despite being only six years old, is taking off in New Zealand.
“It is very fast and it can be very close to the ground depending on how you chose to fly,” says Mr Haskins
Sean Kerridge launched 800 metres above sea-level at Treble Cone - Para gliders in the area saw the crash and tried to resuscitate him, but he died at the scene.
“It's very rare but it is the nature of the area, where people are attracted to do this kind of activity,” says Constable Peter Reed of Wanaka Police.
Despite the accident, the area is known to be excellent and safe for speedflying.
“It's got really good landing sites so there's no major obstacles or hazards on the mountain, it's quite open terrain and the landing areas are clear,” says Mr Haskins.
The sport began as ski-gliding in France, using specially designed airfoils to reach high speeds close to the ground, and is regulated in New Zealand meaning you have to be a registered paraglide pilot to fly a speedflyer.
“The potential for accidents is always there, given it's aviation, but you've got the added consideration that these things are flying along at speed close to the ground so a small miscalculation could result in a pilot smacking into the ground,” says Russell Read of the New Zealand Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association.
No matter how experienced, when you're pushing the boundaries this close, even a tiny mistake can have tragic consequences.
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