Skydiver and paraglider injured in Queenstown recovering after separate crashes

A man who escaped serious injury after a skydiving incident near Queenstown yesterday has been discharged from hospital.

The skydiver, who was on a solo recreational jump, sustained moderate injuries as he crash-landed at the NZOne landing zone about 3.25pm.

Police reported the 29-year-old man landed about 50m from the NZOne buildings at Frankton, near Queenstown.

He was orginially taken to Lakes District Hospital, but a NZOne spokesperson said today he had been released following an overnight assessment.

"The skydiver was an experienced member of the NZOne Skydive team who was on a solo recreational jump," the spokesperson said.

"The company is carrying out an internal review into the solo skydiver's incident in keeping with its standard operational safety procedures."

Earlier in the day, a paraglider was flown to Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries after an incident near Cardrona Alpine Resort.

A police spokesman said officers attended the crash after a personal locator beacon was set off.

A St John spokesman said it was notified at 12.20pm.

The woman was flown by helicopter to Dunedin with serious injuries, he said.

A Southern District Health Board spokeswoman said the patient remains in Dunedin Hospital in a stable condition.

Yesterday's incidents follow the death of a tandem skydiver on January 10.

American tourist Tyler Nii died after he and an NZOne instructor crashed into Lake Wakatipu.

The instructor was pulled to safety but an extensive search failed to find Nii.

At the time NZOne director Anthony Ritter said it was the company's first fatal incident in 27 years.

However, yesterday's incident means the company has been involved in four accidents over the past few years.

A tandem jump in January 2017 ended in a crash-landing with an instructor and trainee instructor suffering serious injuries.

And, in 2015, a skydiving cameraman working for the company ended up in Dunedin Hospital with serious injuries after a jump went wrong.

A Civil Aviation Authority spokeswoman said any incident causing injury is of concern.

"But given two of the incidents you refer to happened only yesterday and are unrelated, it's too early to say whether we have particular or serious concerns," she said.

"We need to get more information about exactly what happened and what, if anything, can be done to prevent future occurrences."

"The details of the incidents yesterday still need to be clarified, so it's too early to say if the safety protocols in each sector are being adhered to, however, they are a reminder to the entire aviation industry to make sure their operations are as safe as possible."

Paragliding accidents in New Zealand:

• 2011 - 8

• 2012 - 6

• 2013 - 14

• 2014 - 15

• 2015 - 20

• 2016 - 18

• 2017 - 15

• 2018 - 8

• Total: - 104