Carpinteria Coastal View weekly Thursday Paper on 6/10/10 page 5
http://www.coastalview.com
also posted at: http://paraglide.net/log/amigo/tom_maye ... d_obit.htm
Local perishes in hang gliding crash
A tragic hang gliding accident on June 5 resulted in the death of long-time Carpinterian Tom Mayer, 60. Mayer, an avid hang glider with 38 years of experience, was competing in the Crestline Soaring Society Aerobatics Competition in San Bernadino when, for an unknown reason, his glider broke in the middle of a maneuver and he fell hundreds of feet to the ground.
"He was doing his last trick when it went wrong," said friend and fellow hang glider David Haight, who watched the crash fro the landing zone 200 to 300 yards away.
Hang gliding aerobatics involves daredevil maneuvers such as loops, spins and rolls in midair. The sport is more dangerous than simply soaring in a hang glider. "That kind of flying is more extreme. (Mayer) loved that," said Robert Anderson, President of Santa Barbara Soaring Association (SBSA), of which Mayer was a member.
Aerobatic hang gliders wear emergency parachutes, which are deployed if an accident occurs in the air. Mayer's chute never opened during his fall, leaving some fellow SBSA members wondering if he was unconscious during the decent.
Firefighters and paramedics were already on the scene when Mayer's crash occurred and they responded almost immediately. Haight ran over from the landing zone to find Mayer unresponsive after the fall. He was rushed to a San Bernadino hospital in critical condition and later died for his injuries, according to the San Bernadino City Fire Department.
Just moments after Mayer's accident a second hang gliding contestant crashed as well. The second man was able to pull his emergency parachute before landing. He survived the crash with some injuries.
Accidents in aerobatic hang gliding are rare, according to Haight. "It's not at all a common occurrence, especially to have two incidences back to back. It's a statistical anomaly," he said.
Mayer was using a hang glider that he had recently purchased in slightly used condition, but he had flown it successfully several times before the crash.
Known by his friends in the SBSA as a skilled and highly experienced flyer, Mayer had flown in Hawaii and throughout the Sierra Nevada. He spent most of his time flying locally at East Beach or Parma Park in Santa Barbara. Additionally, Mayer was an avid surfer and bicyclist.
"He was an extremely enthusiastic person," said Anderson. "We're gonna miss his energy."
The accident is still under investigation. According to Haight, the U.S. Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association will create an accident report using interviews and video footage from the competition.
-Lea Boyd
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Obituary from the Carpinteria Costal View 6/10/10 Page 6
Tom Mayer, long time resident of Carpinteria, was taken from us too soon last Sunday in a tragic hang-glider accident while participating in an aerial competition in San Bernadino. An avid surfer, bike rider and all things challenging, Tom is survived by his mother Nancy, his daughter Jennifer Savard (Jason), son Matt Mayer, his sister Linda Coldiron (Dean) and his Brother Rob Mayer, sister-in-law Patsy, grandchildren Hannah and Jeffrey Savard and numerous nieces and nephews - a large and loving family, all of whom will miss his ever present smile and artful storytelling.
A paddle out will be held on Saturday, June 12, at 10:am at the backside of Rincon followed by a memorial at Lion's Park at 12:30 p.m. Anyone who wishes to bring a salad to the memorial may do so.
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Obituary from the Santa Barbara News Press
June 10, 2010 6:52 AM
MAYER, Tom
Of Carpinteria died in a hang glider accident on June 5. He is survived by his mother, Nancy, his sister Linda Coldiron (Dean), brother Rob Mayer (Patsy), daughter Jennifer Savard (Jason), son Matt Mayer, grandchildren Hannah and Jeffrey Savard and numerous nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life "Paddle Out" will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 12 at the backside of Rincon beach, followed by a farewell memorial at Lions Park in Carpinteria at 12:30 p.m.