Champion skydiver killed attempting high-risk touchdown in Texas

A 29-year-old champion skydiver was killed in Texas whereas making an attempt a high-risk touchdown.

Melissa Porter, from Perth, Australia, was testing the “swooping” manoeuvre on 24 June when she had a tough touchdown and fell into shallow water, ABC 13 Houston reported.

Witnesses mentioned her parachute was deployed however she was too near the bottom, based on information.com.au.

Ms Porter, who received gold on the Australian Skydiving Championships earlier this yr, was rushed to hospital the place she was pronounced lifeless.

ABC 13 Houston mentioned investigators did not discover any blunt pressure trauma to her physique and have been uncertain if she had suffered a medical emergency in the course of the dive.

Ms Porter’s mom Vonnie informed Australia’s 9NEWS: “She’s my baby and she’s not coming home.”

She mentioned her daughter beloved the game.

“That was her happy place. She’ll forever be in the sky roaming the world now.”

Ms Porter labored as an teacher at Skydive Spaceland Houston.

Swooping includes a collection of inauspicious manoeuvres that permit skydivers to “swoop” at excessive speeds over the bottom or water earlier than levelling off rapidly for the touchdown.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade informed the New York Post it was “providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman who died in the United States”.

“We send our deepest condolences to the woman’s family,” the division mentioned.

Ms Porter broke an Australian ladies’s total-break sequential report in May when she accomplished the “2 point 23 way”, based on information.com.au.

She informed the Sound Telegraph, after successful the Australian championships together with her skydiving companion Josh Tassicker: “It was a shock when we took gold but it’s been amazing – it definitely makes me want to compete further.”