A tragic accident unfolded in Brazil’s São Conrado region when 49-year-old skydiving instructor Jose de Alencar Lima Junior fell to his death during a speed fly attempt. The incident, captured in a disturbing viral video, saw Lima plummet almost 820 feet to the rocks below.
Lima, an experienced skydiving instructor with two decades of expertise, was attempting a speed fly—a high-speed air sport similar to paragliding—when the tragedy struck. While launching from Pedra Bonita, just outside Rio de Janeiro, Lima lost his balance shortly after deploying his parachute. In the viral video, a woman can be heard expressing concern, saying, “Guys, I am worried.”
Witnesses noted that Lima appeared to trip on a hole before losing control, contributing to his fatal fall. Authorities are investigating whether equipment failure played a role in the incident.
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Shocking – Skydiving Instructor Fall To Death
Jose de Alencar Lima Junior, a skydiving instructor, fell to death in Brazil’s Sao Conrado after he ran off a cliff’s edge.
He jumps from a prohibited place in Pedra Bonita, in Sao Conrado! The equipment used is also not authorized. pic.twitter.com/tdbCeYeCmp
— AH Siddiqui (@anwar0262) November 6, 2024
The police have opened an investigation into the possibility of equipment malfunction during the jump. The Clube São Conrado de Voo Livre (CSCLV), which oversees the region’s launch sites, revealed that Lima had not followed proper procedures for his jump. They stated he had not used the designated ramp, instead taking off from a prohibited and unsuitable trail. “With that clarification, may the pilot rest in peace,” they added.
Lima, who had lived in Germany but was visiting family in Brazil, had served as a paratrooper in the Brazilian Army’s Parachute Infantry Brigade. His sister-in-law, reflecting on his experience, described him as a skilled professional. “We have no idea what could have happened. But he was a professional skydiver for 20 years. He was experienced. What happened was an accident,” she explained, expressing confusion about the incident. She also mentioned she was unsure whether Lima had jumped from Pedra Bonita before.
This incident follows the death of Chilean skydiver Carolina Munoz Kennedy, who also tragically died in Brazil last month. Munoz Kennedy, 40, lost her life when both her main and reserve parachutes failed to deploy properly, leading to a deadly freefall.