“I looked up and it looked to me as if the two paragliders collided. It wasn’t a heavy collision, it looked to me like a slight touch from where I was standing.”
So describes Coenie Visser, an eyewitness of yesterday’s tandem paragliding accident in Sea Point that claimed the life of former international rugby player and coach Greig Oliver (58).
Two tandem pilots with their passengers collided mid-air above the Sea Point Promenade.
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Visser explains that he was taking a walk on the Sea Point Promenade when he saw the incident.
“I saw the one parachute landing not at the target landing on the lawn but he managed to get across the wall that separates the promenade from the sea. He managed to get over that wall onto the lawn. So, he was fine, it looked like it.
“My attention was on the parachute that landed in the water. For the first few minutes, there was nothing. It was spring tide and the sea was rough. We didn’t see anything in the water, they completely disappeared and the waves were just getting bigger and bigger”.
Visser explains that a few minutes later, the tandem paraglider pilot emerged from the water. “I could see he was with his hands in the water so obviously he was trying to help the other guy. My assumption was that he got strangled in these ropes of the parachute.”
He explains that two people ran onto the rock towards the pair to assist them. “A woman standing next to me called the NSRI. When the NSRI arrived, they dragged the guy onto a rock. I could see them doing CPR and at one stage they just stopped.
“The people standing close to me were praying because what looked like just a minor incident, got worse and worse and people got quiet because we all realised this was not good. When he pulled a safety parachute they literally plunged into the water. We were all very sad because we honestly didn’t think that it would turn out that way.”
Meanwhile, messages of condolences are pouring in for Oliver.
Oliver was in South Africa with his wife Fiona to support their son Jack and the Ireland u-20s squad playing in the World Rugby u-20 Championship.
Munster Rugby released a statement and said they were “deeply saddened and shocked” by Oliver’s sudden passing.
Munster Rugby CEO Ian Flanagan says in a statement: “On behalf of Munster Rugby, I would like to express our deepest sympathies to Greig’s wife Fiona, son Jack, daughter Ciara, and the wider Oliver family.
“We are all in a state of shock following Greig’s tragic passing.
He was a great colleague and friend to so many and will be dearly missed across the Munster and Irish Rugby community.
“Greig made his presence felt each day, he was always there to provide a helping hand and was a hugely popular character with his light-hearted nature and sense of humour.
“He had an infectious enthusiasm for the game and was incredibly passionate about helping young players be the best they can be on and off the field. May he rest in peace.”
Mark Alexander, the president of the South African Rugby Union, also expressed his condolences on behalf of the South African Rugby community to the Oliver family and the Irish Rugby Football Union and its World Rugby u-20 Championship team.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Oliver family at this terrible time and with the whole Irish team over whom a terrible shadow has been cast. We all share the pain of the Oliver family and join them in their sorrow at what should have been a time of optimism and excitement.
“The South African Rugby Union, which is hosting the event on behalf of World Rugby, will do everything in its power to support the Oliver family in coping with this terrible situation,” he says.
South African Hang-gliding and Paragliding Association (SAHPA) says it is gathering evidence and witness reports and has handed the matter to the Accident and Incident Investigations Division (AIID) for further investigation.
SAHPA is mandated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to oversee the sports of paragliding, hang-gliding, paramotor and speed flying.
Louis Stanford, the spokesperson for SAHPA, says: “Paragliding is simultaneously a challenging and rewarding sport, however, it does have inherent risks. The sport is well-regulated, and safety is always a primary consideration. As this matter has been referred for further investigation, we cannot speculate on this accident. We also express our sorrow and condolences to the friends and family of the deceased.”
Stanford appealed to any witnesses to contact the SAHPA office.
