Second Football Field Casualty

[RickI]

Additional details follow about the manlifting (or being lifted by a kite while tied by a rope to an anchor), fatality that occurred at Airlie Beach, Australia on Wednesday, September 3, at around Noon.

The 24 yr. old man was apparently trying to learn kiteboarding on his own using a used 11 m Liquid Force kite. He had secured himself to a football ( or soccer), goal post with a rope and was using a harness. Winds were strong at 20 to 25 kts. The man was reportedly lifted to 70 to 100 ft. off the ground and was subsequently "locked out" (hurled into the ground under line tension) or stalled the kite or otherwise caused the kite to drop him to the ground. The man reportedly suffered serious head injury on impact. The young man was reportedly an adventurous type, into base jumping. It was indicated that some other kiteboarders were at the park. The kiter survived a 25km ambulance trip to the Proserpine Hospital and from there a 250km helicopter ride to Townsville but died shortly afterwards or upon arrival. More details about this accident appear below.**


This manlifting fatality follows another very similar fatal accident in England that happened only last May:

phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=10431


Along with many other fatalities and severe injuries including paralysis going back over 1000 years. The Chinese were fond of the practice for military, punitive and for other purposes going way back.


IN SHORT, MANLIFTING KILLS AND MAIMS, HAS MANY TIMES IN THE PAST AND WILL NO DOUBT DO SO AGAIN.


**phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2297435

[da_airman]

A great sadness another person adding to a growing list.
Who gives a beginner a powerful kite and then lets them try and teach themselves with out any knowledge of the correct procedures.
It should be the resposibility of anybody selling or passing on a kite to inform people, the dangers are huge, learn with instructors who know what they are doing in a safe enviroment. Advanced riders dying because of bad luck or stupidity is one thing, but a newbie dying because of ignorance is unacceptable.
deepest sympathy again for his family and friends

[niko]

deepest sympathy for his family and his friends.
I am sorry, but this story sounds like taken from Jackass.

Fly save.

regards
niko

[theflyingtinman]

...This manlifting fatality follows another very similar fatal accident in England that happened only last May:

phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=10431

Was it ever confirmed that the May death was a manlifting
incident. There was no reference to an anchor rope in any of the
news reports. The only reference to an anchor rope was a comment
by Simon that, along with a comment about the kite size, appeared
to me to be supposition, not first hand knowledge. I cold be wrong;
he did make a more informed comment about the weather as it
happend just down the road from him, but never confirmed his other
comments about the equipment were anything more than supposition.

Simon? ... care to fill us in? Was there a rope anchor involved in
that case?

Steve T.

[RickI]

Steve,

The use of a rope tether was also identified in a private communication that I made to England regarding the accident at the time. So, from that and Simon's comment, concluding that it was a manlifting accident seems to be well supported. Short of being there at the time of the accident and with vague newspaper accounts, many of these details need to be accepted or discarded on the basis of limited verification. Nothing new there unfortuantely.