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| Australia skydiving: Three dead after 'mid-air collision' | Australia skydiving: Three dead after 'mid-air collision' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Three skydivers have died in Queensland after they apparently collided mid-air, say Australian authorities. | Three skydivers have died in Queensland after they apparently collided mid-air, say Australian authorities. |
| Paramedics and police were called to Mission Beach, a popular skydiving spot about 140km (87 miles) south of Cairns. | Paramedics and police were called to Mission Beach, a popular skydiving spot about 140km (87 miles) south of Cairns. |
| Two men in their 30s, and a woman in her 50s, were found dead at the scene, Queensland police said in a statement. | Two men in their 30s, and a woman in her 50s, were found dead at the scene, Queensland police said in a statement. |
| Police said initial investigations found one person may have collided with tandem skydivers, and their parachutes failed to deploy correctly. | Police said initial investigations found one person may have collided with tandem skydivers, and their parachutes failed to deploy correctly. |
| Queensland's ambulance service told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that one skydiver was found in the garden of a residence, and the other two were found close by. | Queensland's ambulance service told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that one skydiver was found in the garden of a residence, and the other two were found close by. |
| A resident was also quoted as saying the bodies were found about 1.5km north of the usual landing site. | A resident was also quoted as saying the bodies were found about 1.5km north of the usual landing site. |
| Operating company Skydive Australia told local media that it had suspended its operations at Mission Beach while an investigation took place. | Operating company Skydive Australia told local media that it had suspended its operations at Mission Beach while an investigation took place. |
| The solo skydiver was a "highly experienced instructor who had completed thousands of jumps", while the other two were a customer and another experienced instructor, it said in a statement. | The solo skydiver was a "highly experienced instructor who had completed thousands of jumps", while the other two were a customer and another experienced instructor, it said in a statement. |
| "The company extends its deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the individuals and families involved and the broader skydiving community," it added. | "The company extends its deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the individuals and families involved and the broader skydiving community," it added. |
| An unnamed eyewitness told the Cairns Post that he saw one of the skydivers falling. "You could see one chute was tangled and it wasn't opening." | An unnamed eyewitness told the Cairns Post that he saw one of the skydivers falling. "You could see one chute was tangled and it wasn't opening." |
| "I was just watching him in free fall until he went behind the trees, and that was the last I saw," he said. | "I was just watching him in free fall until he went behind the trees, and that was the last I saw," he said. |
| "It wasn't good to watch. I had my heart in my mouth." | "It wasn't good to watch. I had my heart in my mouth." |
| The area's local mayor, John Kremastos, told the ABC that the incident was "horrible news", saying: "Three people in one accident is very, very sad." | |
| Skydiving is a popular tourist activity in the area, with many of the backpackers who travel the Queensland coast stopping by Mission Beach. | Skydiving is a popular tourist activity in the area, with many of the backpackers who travel the Queensland coast stopping by Mission Beach. |