Farewell: Skydiver Michael Vaughan was man who took joy to new heights
Whether they had jumped with him once or 1000 times, friends and family came to pay tribute to their “superhero”, skydiver Michael Vaughan.
NSW
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HE did not live to be awesome, he lived to feel awesome.
And that feeling was never greater than when skydiving legend Michael Vaughan was jumping out of a plane to parachute into the drop zone.
Whether they had jumped with him once or 1000 times, or just knew him on the ground, friends and family came to pay tribute to their “superhero” at a memorial in Sydney.
“The sky really is the limit when you imagine the life Michael lived,” long-time friend Brad Turner said.
“He was a name synonymous with everything great about skydiving. He spread knowledge out of the goodness of his heart and made everyone feel like a valued friend.”
The instructor and world championship silver medallist, who had 10,000 jumps under his belt, was killed when he and Alana Clarke became entangled during a midair manoeuvre on March 28.
Ms Clarke died at the scene and Mr Vaughan died after surgery.
His wife Kate Vaughan said she started skydiving thinking there were “no eligible men” in the community.
“He proved me wrong,” Mrs Vaughan said.
“Michael was my ultimate superhero. He was a husband and best friend in one perfect package.”
It just took her some time to get used to how popular he was with other skydivers: “On the drop zone it felt like he was public property.”
Jules McConnell, a member of the Ookoonono skydiving team with Mr Vaughan, and friend Craig Bennett, said he was respected by skydivers from around the world.
“He embraced every moment with all the enthusiasm he could muster,” Mr Bennett said.
Even when midair formations went pear-shaped, friend Craig Vaughan said his positivity never wavered.
“He would be laughing in hysterics as he landed. A laugh you could always hear from across the room,” he said.
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