Australian champion skydiver, Melissa Porter, 29, died on June 24 while testing a high-risk maneuver known as “swooping” at Skydive Spaceland Houston in Texas.
Porter, who also worked as an instructor at the skydiving facility, had a rough landing following difficulties during the stunt and fell into shallow water. Witnesses reported seeing her parachute deploy but it was too low to the ground to avert the mishap.
Following the accident, Porter was quickly transported to a local hospital. Despite the best efforts of medical personnel, she was declared dead. Investigators, citing a lack of obvious blunt force trauma, are unsure if a medical event occurred during the dive. An official cause of death is still being established.
Porter’s mother, Vonnie, was deeply affected by the news, noting that her daughter found great joy in skydiving. An esteemed participant in the skydiving community, Porter was involved in numerous record-breaking jumps. She also won gold in the two-way swooping category at this year’s Australian Skydiving Championships. The high-risk “swooping” maneuver requires fast descents and rapid movements over land or water and carries a considerable risk, requiring absolute precision.