Skydiving Instructor Falls To Death In Brazil In Shocking Viral Video

(X/@belemtransito)

In a tragic incident, a skydiving instructor fell to death in Brazil's Sao Conrado after he ran off a cliff's edge. The deceased was identified as Jose de Alencar Lima Junior. The 49-year-old army veteran was trying a speed fly. It is an air sport similar to paragliding. While making the attempt, the instructor lost his balance just as the parachute was deployed.

A video of the incident went viral on social media. Instructor Lima immediately fell nearly 820 feet and landed on some rocks. "Guys, I am worried," a woman in the background could be heard saying in the video.

FATALIDADE

José de Alencar Lima Junior, de 49 anos, morreu neste domingo (3) ao tentar decolar de speed fly na Pedra Bonita, em São Conrado, zona sul do Rio de Janeiro. O acidente ocorreu no momento em que o piloto se preparava para o voo e corria para ganhar velocidade. pic.twitter.com/UFDiIu1J0Z

— BT Mais (@belemtransito) November 4, 2024

Citing witnesses of the incident, the NY Post reported that Lima appeared to have tripped on a hole, which contributed to the fatal fall. The investigation into the matter is underway, and police believe that Lima's equipment may have been faulty at the time when the accident took place.

Meanwhile, the Clube Sao Conrado de Voo Livre (CSCLV), which controls access to the site where paragliding flights and similar activities take place in Pedra Bonita, said that Lima accessed a trail—not the ramp—and jumped from an inappropriate location.

"The pilot did not use the ramp to take off. The spot he chose for takeoff is bad and even prohibited. The CSCLV is not responsible for the incident. With that clarification, may the pilot rest in peace," CSCLV said in a statement, according to an NDTV report.

Lima, who served as a paratrooper in the Brazilian Army's Parachute Infantry Brigade, was an experienced skydiving instructor who lived in Germany but was visiting family in Brazil. His sister-in-law said it was an accident.

“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 said, adding that she had no idea whether Lima had previously jumped from Pedra Bonita.