An avid skydiver has passed away after a tragic accident midair.
According to 7News, Mark Hanna had over 300 jumps under his belt when he tried jumping with a wingsuit for the first time.
However, when both of his parachutes failed to deploy, the 34-year-old tragically plunged to his death in Connewarre, Australia.
Melbourne native Hanna was taking a new flying course over Torquay as part of a 12-strong group when the fatal incident occurred on Sunday (July 10).
Despite being an experienced skydiver, the jump was Hanna's first time using a wingsuit - a kind of jumpsuit with extra webbing that allows the faller to glide through the air for a longer period of time.
Although he was jumping alongside an experienced instructor, something went wrong during the freefall and both Hanna's primary and backup parachutes failed to deploy. He landed in Connewarre, where he was declared dead at the scene. His coach, meanwhile, was able to make a safe landing nearby.
Australian Parachute Federation CEO Richard McCooey explained that the precise circumstances leading up to the tragic death were still being investigated.
"We understand that the man had successfully completed 300 jumps and was doing his first jump in a wingsuit, under the supervision of an experienced tutor," he told the Herald Sun, adding: "We know very little beyond that at this stage."
"This is an awful situation and our thoughts are with the man’s family and friends," McCooey added.
Tributes have poured in for Hanna, with devastated loved ones describing him as a "daredevil" and remembering his mischievous spirit.
His close friend Dave told 7News: "He was the biggest daredevil you’d ever meet, but ... he was the most humble and nicest guy as well with the best smile."
"He’ll be missed by everyone, especially our inner tighter knight community but in particular his twin brother," Dave added.
Meanwhile, Hanna's twin Andrew described the irreplaceable bond he shared with his brother. "The bond that we had being twins growing up, all the mischief that we got up to, we knew that we could always count on each other no matter what," he recalled.
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