Money Over Everything: Gold Coast Skydivers Edition

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On Saturday,August 3,2013,an instructor with the Gold Coast Skydiver Group died from injuries after something went terribly wrong during a jump. Another diver is in critical condition. My condolences to the family of the deceased diver. News of the tragedy trickled in. It seems that WDAM was notified immediately. However, others didn't get the same courtesy. Some used the tragic even to show their "importance" as emergency personnel. There's a time and place for politics but this wasn't the time or the place. Also, it wasn't the time to make sure you're quoted in every story. As we watched this tragedy unfold, the skydivers went from missing to being found either injured or dead. The City of Lumberton has a contract with the Gold Coast Skydivers group and one of the stipulations within the contract states that in the event of an accident, the jumps shall be suspended. Hours after the report of the missing jumpers, the plane was still taking up other skydivers. As a matter of fact, while News 7 was reporting the death of the instructor, the plane was taking off in the background. I guess even in the case of death, there's still money to be made. Even without the contract, one would think the jumps would be halted just out of respect for the family but I guess they operate on a different level. It seems that no one wanted to follow protocol. I know that this was the first time a skydiver died during a jump at the Lumberton airport but one would think that one of the first persons that would be called would either be the Mayor or Chief of Police. But that was not the case. It seems that calls were made to the news stations and not the city officials. And based on the way the Gold Coast crew was avoiding the news, I think it would be safe to say they're not the ones with WDAM on speed dial. The way this situation was handled was tragic all around. Again, my prayers are with the families and I'm also praying for the zealots that will attempt to use a set of tragic circumstances for self preservation. As we move forward, it is my hope that Gold Coast will be more proactive in their contractual obligations and focus more on integrity and less on the bottom line.

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 6, 2013 at 1:20 PM

    Wow this totally doesn't surprise me I use to live in lumberton and I use to work there and I can tell you goldcoast skydivers only care about money

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 6, 2013 at 3:53 PM

    Were you out there to witness this emergency personal trying to show "importance"? If not you have no business report gossip. If you don't see it with your own eyes or hear it with your own ears then it should never be put in your blog. You tend to ruin peoples good name. Not a very Godly thing to do now is it?

    ReplyDelete

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