S'PORE PARACHUTE JUMP INSTRUCTOR FELL TO HIS DEATH

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab

SINGAPORE, May 21 (Bernama) -- A Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) parachute jump
instructor fell to his death during a freefall parachute training session with
SAF commando team in Bloemfontein, South Africa Wednesday.

The republic's Defence Ministry said THursday the 53-year-old instructor
with the rank of First Warrant Officer jumped off a Republic of Singapore Air
Force C-130 aircraft at a height of 12,500 feet to conduct a formation jump.

The six-man formation broke off at 3,500 feet to deploy their parachutes but
the instructor was seen spiralling downwards to the ground and was found
unconscious at about 4.45pm (Singapore time), it said.

The soldier was brought to a hospital in Bloemfontein but was pronounced
dead about an hour later.

The instructor who was from the Commando Training Institute was part of a
51-member SAF commando team participating in the SAF freefall training, which is
being conducted from April 27 to this Sunday.

The SAF conducts freefall training in South Africa once every two years.
-- BERNAMA