Dominik Frei in the Dolomites. Photo: Domink Frei / www.flyfrei.ch
Dominik Frei, 39, from Switzerland has tragically died following a fatal paragliding accident in Roldanillo on 18 February.
The Swiss PWC pilot took off at 11.10am from the Los Tanques launch above Roldanillo, the same launch used in the recent Paragliding World Championships.
According to eye-witness reports he experienced a full frontal collapse immediately after take off, which he recovered from. Flying through rough air eye-witnesses said he then climbed higher before entering cloud. The assumption of the pilots watching from the ground was he was trying to clear rough air. He exited the cloud with his glider in difficulty and went through a series of cascade events before entering auto-rotation (a spiral) which took him out of sight. A reserve parachute was not deployed.
Pilots on launch carried out an immediate rescue, but Dominik died less than 24 hours later in hospital in Tulua, 50km from Roldanillo.
Pilots who were on launch said that conditions were unusual for the site that morning with a “strong” backwind of “10-15km/h” when they arrived at about 10am. It had been raining that morning and was overcast. When Dominik took off it was into the first thermal of the day and no one else was in the air.
Better conditions on previous days had seen Dominik launching as early as 9.40am and climbing out smoothly to base, getting on track early for flights of up to 130km around the Cauca Valley.
The launches in Roldanillo are all lee-side mountain launches and depend on convection to generate upslope thermal breezes to allow safe launching. A west wind or north wind can create turbulent conditions in front of launch at Las Tanques.
Pablo Canyon, medical director at the Mariangela Clinic in Tulua, told Associated Press that Dominik suffered head trauma and multiple lower fractures and died in the early hours of 19 February.
Dominik had been in Roldanillo for two weeks and was staying at Cloudbase Colombia in the town, expecting to stay for a further week. He was flying with two friends, and had been enjoying six hour days, flying 100km+ flights on six out of 12 days.
According to Colombian press reports Dominik’s body was repatriated to Switzerland on Saturday 21 February.
A statement released by Domink’s family read:
“With deep sadness we have to announce that Dominik Frei launched at 11.10am on 18 February at Las Tanques take-off and crashed. He got a front collapse right after launch, which he recovered from well. Shortly after he got a 70% collapse which put the glider into a violent spiral. Because of his low height he hit the ground in a spiral.
“People present were on the scene quickly, including a Swiss doctor who administered first aid. With the fire department they took him to Roldanillo hospital, where they moved him immediately to Tulua. Internal injuries were so severe that Dominik died on 19 February at 3.30am. We extend all our thanks to the volunteers who helped on the scene. In deep mourning, Michaela and Jonathan.”
Dominik kept a flying website and blog at www.flyfrei.ch.
With sincere condolences to Dominik’s friends and family.
Reporting by Ed Ewing, Colombia.
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