Son’s tribute after dad dies in skydiving tragedy
DOWNLOA D THE son of a Scots skydiver who died while taking part in a jump in Thailand has paid tribute to him.
Jim McConnell, 69, from Duntocher, Dunbartonshire, landed in a reservoir north of the resort town of Pattaya on Thursday.
An official and friend at the skydiving centre from where he left for the jump said he is “99 per cent certain” Mr McConnell had a heart attack or a stroke shortly after leaving the plane, causing him to lose some level of consciousness.
He also described Mr McConnell, who is said to have lived in Thailand for 19 years, as a “lovely” and “unassuming” man who was a competent skydiver.
In a Facebook posting, Mr McConnell’s son Mark wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that I have to tell my Facebook friends and family that my dad Jim McConnell has sadly passed away.
“As soon as I can confirm what happened I will let you know but for now, the family and I would appreciate privacy at this difficult time. Blue skies to you all xxx.
“All of you who knew my Dad will know that he went the way he wanted and no-one should feel sad, fly free my hero xx.”
Harry Hongjindapong, a spokesman for Thai Sky Adventures, said witness accounts and video evidence suggest Mr McConnell suffered “a medical event” at around 5,000ft, causing him to drift on to his back. He said the skydiver managed to deploy his reserve para- chute late on in the descent, but believes he was only semi-conscious at that point.
He said: “He was an experienced skydiver, he’d been jumping for many years, nearly 1,500 jumps.
“Watching the videos he just rolled on to his back and started spinning. If he was in control of his faculties then he would have regained stability within half a second.
“This sort of thing doesn’t happen to an experienced skydiver unless they have lost control over their physical ability.”
Mr Hongjindapong said CPR was carried out after Mr McConnell was recovered from the reservoir, but it is thought he had not been breathing when he entered the water.
He added: “This wasn’t a skydiving accident, it was a medical event that unfortunately happened while he was skydiving. There were no safety standards breached.”