Voice Ocean Grove
INSIDE THIS EDITION‌
A DOUBLE CELEBRATION, PAGE 3
11 April - 24 April, 2018
OCEAN GROVE’S NUMBER ONE NEWSPAPER
FREE FORTNIGHTLY
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Skydive questions By Mandy Oakham
Ocean Grovers dug deep into their pockets for the annual Royal Children's Hospital Appeal. Ocean Grove CFA volunteers were busy on Good Friday, patrolling the intersection of The Terrace and Hodgson St for donations. Victorians donated more than $18 million for the Good Friday appeal, setting a new record. Pictured are CFA volunteers Noel Grant and Tracey Gibbs, who were rattling tins for the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal. (Justin Flynn) 179432
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A major investigation has been launched into the latest skydiving accident at Barwon Heads. Two men were hospitalised with injuries after colliding as they approached their landings at the field late on Easter Saturday afternoon. Both men were experienced solo jumpers but suffered serious injuries after falling 20 metres to the ground. A 24-year-old Melbourne man was flown to The Alfred hospital with concussion and bruising. He was discharged later on Sunday. A 30-year-old British man suffered a fractured ankle and compression fractures. The investigation will be led by Skydive Australia including their Victorian safety and training manager and chief instructor and will also involve the Australian Parachute Federation. A spokesperson for Skydive Australia said that it was unlikely that there would be any major changes to safety regulations already in place. "It will be very important to understand the thought processes and actions that the canopy pilots (the skydivers) went through prior to ending up in this situation," a Skydive Australia spokesperson said. "It is possible that the investigation may conclude that not all the correct procedures had been followed by them." Skydive Australia has operated the Barwon Head site for the past five years. A man suffered serious injuries to his legs in an accident at the site in 2017 and another man was seriously injured at the site in 2015 when his parachute failed to open properly. In 2014 another man was killed at the Barwon Heads airfield when his chute failed to open. According to the 2016 annual report from the Australian Parachute Federation, 22 people died from skydiving in Australia between 2006 and 2015. That averages out to more than two fatalities per year and only 23 per cent of skydiving deaths are students or novices. According to world experts on the subject, skydiving increases the risk of dying by about eight to nine micromorts per jump, meaning you have roughly a one-in-100,000 chance of dying.