Respected paraglider Mark Cross killed in flying accident at Mena Creek
The death of an experienced paraglider in a Far North flying accident has been met with disbelief by a devastated family after a freak hang gliding incident killed the man’s brother.
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The death of an experienced paraglider in a Far North flying accident has been met with disbelief by devastated family members after a freak hang gliding incident killed the man’s brother in 1981.
On Monday afternoon Mark Cross, 63, got into trouble in the skies over the Paronella Park tourist attraction at Mena Creek and plummeted to the ground from a height of 20m.
The Utchee Creek man sustained serious leg and abdominal trauma and was taken to Cairns Hospital via rescue helicopter but tragically succumbed to his injuries.
Mr Cross had been flying paramotor sport aircraft since 1998 after transitioning from hang gliding and following in the footsteps of his father who was also a passionate pilot.
Known as Crossy to his paragliding mates, he was a mentor and friend to many pilots who shared his passion for the exhilarating extreme sport.
Lifelong friend Thomas Dahmen, who had only just returned to Airlie Beach after flying with Mr Cross at the weekend, said the Queensland paragliding community had lost a giant of the sport.
“When I got the news, I just couldn’t believe it,” he said.
“He is one of the most respected pilots in the country, there are not too many people who were more experienced or better pilots than Mark.
“He was kind and a mentor, he loved to fly and would always make sure everyone was ready to go, and he would wait to make sure everyone was in the air before he took off.
“Mark was so encouraging and very safety conscious. He was very particular about his gear and checking everything.
“He is so loved by the paragliding community, we will never be able to replace him.
“He was a warm-hearted and kind to animals and kind to people, it’s a bloody tragedy.
“He was just such a beautiful man.”
The aviator had recently relocated to the Far North with his wife Sue from Victoria and was elated about his new home and sparsely populated Cassowary Coast area, which is ideal for paragliding.
“Mark lived to fly,” he said. “He was looking for his dream place to live and it was perfect for flying.
“He loved being in the air. There is a sense of freedom up there you can’t compare.”
Mr Dahmen said the loss of the pilot was especially tough for Mr Cross’s mother, Jan Cross, who has now lost two sons to gliding accidents.
“I can’t imagine how horrible that is,” he said.
On New Year’s Day in 1981, Stephen Cross died in a freak hang gliding accident at Mount Buffalo in Victoria.
According to witnesses at the gorge lookout, the pilot managed to hang on to the bottom of the A-frame for a short time after potentially forgetting to hook in his kite ties and falling from the kite to the rocks below.
In the days before the crash, Mr Cross shared videos of flights over Kurrimine Beach and the South Johnstone sugar mill with Thomas Dahmen and Teo Kaiser, who was a witness to the pilot’s last flight on July 7.
Mr Cross’s niece Kea Jones shared the heartbreaking news of her uncle’s death on social media in absolute disbelief.
“It’s incredibly hard to believe, especially as this is the same way we lost my other uncle, and something that brought so much joy to my grandfather,” she said.
“He died doing something he loved, and we take comfort knowing he was up in the sky, free, where he always felt most alive.
“Our family is devastated and still trying to process it all.
“Rest easy uncle, you’re flying high now with your brother and dad again.”
Innisfail Police will prepare a report for the Coroner and the Sports Aviation Federation of Australia will conduct the investigation into the cause of the accident.
Originally published as Respected paraglider Mark Cross killed in flying accident at Mena Creek
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