A champion skydiver from Australia reportedly died in Texas while testing a high-risk method for the sport called ‘swooping.’ 29-year-old Melissa Porter, of Perth, was an instructor at Skydive Spaceland Houston. She was attempting the new method, and eventually had a hard landing and fell into shallow water, according to ABC 13 Houston.
As per witnesses, Melissa’s parachute deployed during the “advanced landing manoeuvre.” However, it was too close to the ground, news.com.au reported. Melissa was declared dead after being rushed to a nearby hospital.
According to investigators, they noticed no blunt force trauma to her body. They were unsure if she had suffered a medical emergency either. Her cause of death will be determined by the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Melissa’s mother, Vonnie Porter, was asked to call the hospital in America. She subsequently received the heartbreaking news of her daughter’s death. "I said, 'I'm ringing about Mel Porter.' I said, 'She's been in a skydiving accident'," Vonnie told 9News. "He said, 'She is dead.'”
"She's my baby and she's not coming home,” Vonnie said, adding that Melissa "loved" the sport. "That was her happy place. She'll forever be in the sky roaming the world now," she said.
Earlier this year, Melissa helped set a skydiving record in Queensland. She was one of only 23 women who jumped at Skydive Ramblers in Toogoolawah on May 6. Melissa finished the "2-point 23 way", which is an Australian women's total-break sequential record.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier this year, Melissa helped set a skydiving record in Queensland. She was one of only 23 women who jumped at Skydive Ramblers in Toogoolawah on May 6. Melissa finished the "2-point 23 way", which is an Australian women's total-break sequential record.
{{/usCountry}}The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is now "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," a DFAT spokesperson said.
What is ‘swooping’ in skydiving?
According to Skydive Monroe, “Skydiving swooping is all about how a skydiver lands their parachute, aka canopy. To achieve a “swoop landing,” they perform various skilled maneuvers while relatively close to the ground that increases the dive and speed of their canopy flying… and they swoop over the ground (or water!) at super-fast speeds.”
“When someone swoops, they essentially create a surge that drives the canopy towards the ground. They do this by giving a specific amount (not too much and not too little!) input to slightly stall the canopy. This stall momentarily pauses the forward motion, giving the canopy pilot an opportunity to strategically dive (so sick!). Swoopers do this with just enough time to level out and stylishly glide across the ground (or the corn, snow, or pond … anything really)! Note, this “level out” is the end of what we call a ‘flight cycle’ of the canopy,” it continues.
It adds, “Canopy piloting varies for every swooper because every skydiver has their own style and idiosyncrasies that work for them and their particular canopy. Different canopies will respond differently to input from the pilot, but the goal is to control the increase or decrease in forwarding speed or drive.”