WARNING: UPSETTING CONTENT Expert jumper Carolina Munoz Kennedy, 40, was on a routine drop near Sao Paulo, Brazil, when both her parachutes failed mid-air – causing her to plummet to her death
Paraglider plunges to death in Brazil after parachute fails
This is the horrifying moment an expert paraglider plummets to her death after both her parachutes failed on an ambitious drop in Brazil.
Expert jumper Carolina Munoz Kennedy, 40, plunged out of control to earth when her main parachute failed during the drop in Boituva, near Sao Paulo. Video footage taken by horrified onlookers on the ground captures the moment she tries to deploy her reserve parachute but is instead left spinning helplessly mid-air.
As she continues turning in the sky, it appears that lines holding the parachute had somehow become intertwined. When she eventually stops spinning, the woman begins to suddenly descend, missing the landing site and barely skimming the tops of a stand of trees before disappearing behind them.
The video captures the moments some of the parachute lines appear to get stuck on the tree branches and she quickly plunges onto a housing estate. One horrified witness named as Jose Soares de Melo, who watched the moment the 40-year-old crash landed, said: “She was lying there on the pavement, waiting for help. People were called the firefighters, the police. I was so shocked.”
Carolina was rushed to hospital but later died from multiple injuries, according to local media reports. Police have taken her parachute gear away for inspection from Fly Now – the company that had organised the deadly activity. Officers say they are investigating the fall as a suspected accidental death.
Brazil’s Confederation of Parachutists told local media: “At this difficult time, our thoughts are to our dear colleague, her family members and the entire parachute community. We reiterate our commitment to the safety and integrity of all those involved in our sport.”
An autopsy and a safety investigation are expected to reveal Carolina’s cause of death, local media reports.
Earlier this month, a paraglider died after colliding with his friend’s dad in a freak accident, just minutes after confessing he was “scared” to fly. 32-year-old Lucas Ribeiro Macedo tangled in the second man’s parachute mid-air in Brazil.
Both were seen plummeting to the ground before disappearing behind a building. Paramedics arrived at the scene and tried to revive Lucas, but their efforts were in vain. Minutes before taking to the skies, Lucas had posted a video to social media talking about how apprehensive he was.
He said: “How am I feeling? Scared as hell. I haven’t flown in ages, my stomach’s in knots, heart racing like crazy, but let’s go.” Earlier, he’d told his followers that he’d woken up that morning with “butterflies” in his stomach.