A Harrogate man died during a skydive after he was given a parachute with holes patched over.
An inquest yesterday heard Christopher Swales was skydiving over the Grand Canyon in America in September 2019 as a 30th wedding anniversary present from his wife, Deborah.
The couple were on holiday in Arizona where they renewed their wedding vows.
They booked Mr Swales’ skydive with a company called Paragon Skydiving.
The inquest at Northallerton heard Mr Swales was partnered with an experienced military instructor, Matthew McGonagle, for his tandem jump.
In a statement, Mr McGonagle said everything was normal on the morning of the jump. He said the winds were high at 27mph, which is two miles more than allowed in the UK for a skydive to take place. But the American Air Force expert had jumped many times in those conditions.
Mr Swales and his instructor jumped out of a Cessna aircraft, and the parachute opened. Minutes later, witnesses on the ground say the men began freefalling down at speed.
When they hit the ground, Mr Swales suffered serious injuries. Staff on the ground performed CPR on Mr Swales, but he was later certified dead. Mr McGonagle had broken his leg.
Chris and Deborah Swales. Photograph: Facebook
Performed over 1,500 jumps
The inquest heard Mr McGonagle, 34, had worked at the US Air Force as a jump master, and he had performed over 1500 jumps. He had an additional weekend job with Paragon Skydiving.
Mr McGonagle told American police he felt the pressure change as they approached the landing area, and he suspected the parachute had collapsed. After hitting the ground, he remembered little else other than medical staff and being taken to hospital.
The owner of Paragon Skydiving, Jason Theuma, watched the jump from the ground. He told police all the equipment was functioning correctly but maintained that Mr McGonagle must have panicked once he realised they were going to miss the landing area.
Theuma said he saw his employee attempt an “aggressive left turn, midair”. He told officers that he saw the two men hit the ground “at high speed in a loud boom and a cloud of dust” 100 yards away from the landing zone.
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US police took the parachute from Paragon’s offices, as part of their investigation into Mr Swales’ death.
The American police report states that they found, ‘numerous patches sewn into the fabric’. Defects or holes in the material had been circled with a pen.
American police closed their investigation after ruling Christopher Swales’ death as accidental.
Family statement
The coroner, Jonathan Heath, said:
“It appears there was nothing untoward at the start of the free fall parachute jump. It then appeared that the landing site was going to be missed. A manoeuvre was performed. The parachute did not recover from that manoeuvre which led to the free fall.
“On the balance of probabilities…this was an accident.”
Seven family of Mr Swales’ family members sat silently listening. Two of them began crying as they made a statement, which said:
Has Peter the Peacock left Bilton for good?“It is important for these proceedings to establish the facts. Chris had a very full life. Full of love and exciting fun times. We had many good times. That is how we are going to remember him.”
A peacock that has strutted around Bilton for years and nested in people’s gardens appears to have left the area for good.
The streets of Bilton have been curiously quiet in recent days without the distinctive squark of Peter the Peacock, and there are murmurings on social media that the bird has flown the nest.
Concerned Bilton resident Claire Hamer told the Stray Ferret that an RSCPA inspector called her this afternoon to say Peter had injured his foot and the charity had taken him to an animal sanctuary in Lancashire to recuperate.
According to Ms Hamer, when Peter is back on his feet he will be re-homed and will not be returning to Bilton.
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Bilton has been Peter’s home for 12 years and one superfan even set up his own Facebook page for the peacock that has amassed over 500 followers.
Its last post was on June 5.
He told the Stray Ferret today that Peter had not been seen for weeks and that rumours of his departure could be true.
Ms Harmer said Peter would be “greatly missed.”
Harrogate exhibitor says no to mask-free event at convention centre“I enjoyed seeing him, he was very tame, I used to give him seeds, so beautiful.
“He could make a big noise but I got used to it. He would roost in our tree.
“I will miss him, bless him.”
A Harrogate business owner has decided not to exhibit at the first major event at the town’s convention centre for over a year because of health concerns.
Alex Vere, who co-founded a business selling gifts, has exhibited regularly at the Home and Gift Buyer’s Festival in previous years.
But she won’t be at next month’s event, from July 18 to 21, because it is part of the government events research programme, which assesses the impact of holding large events without social distance measures.
This means thousands of people from across the country will be at Harrogate Convention Centre for four days with no cap on capacity, social distancing or mask wearing.
Ms Vere has two children with medical conditions and does not want to risk passing on any infections.
She said she has been cautious for 18 months to protect her children’s health and attending the event would just be “too much” for her at this stage, particularly as infection levels are soaring.
However, she added she accepted the need to stage such events.
She said:
“I understand these events have to happen but it’s a massive concern for me with my kids. The idea of an event with no measures fills me with horror.
“It’s just too big a risk for us, my children’s health will always come first.”
The event organisers have agreed to roll over her £5,500 exhibitor’s fee to next year.
Ms Vere hopes to exhibit again next year. She added:
“As soon as my kids are vaccinated I’ll be there with bells on!”
Read more:
- First events at Harrogate Convention Centre to be government pilot
- Harrogate district covid rate reaches four-month high
A government spokesperson said:
£827,100 contract to start work on Otley Road cycle path in September“Each event is designed and signed off by local health authorities and public health experts, and follows rigorous safety protocols, including a requirement to produce a negative lateral flow test or evidence of being double vaccinated as a condition of entry.
“These events will prove crucial in helping people get back to doing what they love safely.”
An £827,100 contract is set to be awarded to undertake work on the first phase of the delayed Otley Road cycle route in Harrogate.
North Yorkshire County Council is advertising the contract, known as the West Harrogate Scheme, with the start date given as September 6.
A total of £3.2 million was set aside to build the route in 2018 but the plans have been beset by delays that have frustrated Harrogate’s cycling community.
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- Land on Wetherby Road set to become part of the Stray
Tenders for the contract are due to be submitted by July 16.
Work will include widening Otley Road on the approach to Harlow Moor Road as well as the creation of a designated left turn lane on the western approach to Harlow Moor Road and designated right turn lane on the eastern approach.
An off-road cycle route would also be created between Harlow Moor Road and Cold Bath Road as part of the contract.
Traffic light junctions would also be upgraded.
The county council confirmed that the final two phases of the scheme would also be awarded via open tender.
The second phase of the cycle route will link Arthurs Avenue to Beech Grove and the third will connect Cardale Park to Harlow Hill.
Negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster over the exchange of Stray land have caused delays.
Harrogate Borough Council agreed in March to designate a plot of land on Wetherby Road as Stray land in exchange for the loss of grass verges on Otley Road for the new cycle path.
Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive county councillor for access, told the Stray Ferret a fortnight ago that the authority expected work on the first phase to be completed “within a few months”.
TV star Nick Knowles hails jailing of Harrogate hospital bike thievesTV presenter Nick Knowles has hailed the news that thieves have been jailed for stealing bicycles belonging to NHS staff at Harrogate District Hospital.
Mr Knowles, who stars in DIY SOS, offered to buy a new bike for Naresh Gnanasekaran, a doctor at the hospital whose bike was stolen during the first wave of covid in April last year.
Halfords eventually agreed to give Dr Gnanasekaran a new electric bike for free.
Last week John Roddy, 24, from Headingley, Leeds and his partner-in-crime, who could be named for legal reasons, were jailed for stealing bikes worth almost £7,000 from 11 NHS workers in Harrogate and Leeds.
The court heard Roddy had battled drug addiction.
Most of the thefts occurred outside Harrogate District Hospital when staff were having to deal with huge workloads due to the pandemic, said prosecutor Chris Moran.
Mr Moran said one NHS worker in Harrogate had been so “damaged” by the theft of her £400 bike she no longer cycled to work.
Michael Smith, a consultant at the hospital, tagged Mr Knowles in a tweet that contained a link to the Stray Ferret article about the two men being jailed.
Mr Knowles replied that he was glad the men were caught and thankful to the NHS for their efforts over the last 18 months.
I do
Glad your guy got his bike replaced
Glad they were caught
Sad what drugs do to peoples lives and judgement
Thanks to all your colleagues for all you e done over the last 18 months— Nick Knowles (@MrNickKnowles) June 25, 2021
Read more:
- Thieves who stole NHS workers’ bikes at Harrogate hospital jailed
- Harrogate hospital emergency department treating ‘unsustainable’ patient numbers
Stray Views: Stop this Wetherby Road traffic madness!
Stray Views is a weekly column giving you the chance to have your say on issues affecting the Harrogate district. It is an opinion column and does not reflect the views of the Stray Ferret. See below for details on how to contribute.
Wetherby Road recycling queue is dangerous
Nick Bentley, Knaresborough
Council pay rises would be a joke
Your piece on Harrogate Borough Council pay rises is an insult to the people who live in the town.
Harrogate Borough Council is the worst council for spending money on its ‘vanity project’ council buildings. It is a joke.
The council ignores important issues that its council tax payers have. The people sitting in their ivory tower don’t deserve anything.
Susan Mitchell, Harrogate
Stop these proposed changes to Harrogate
My husband and I enjoy the articles from the Stray Ferret: they are accurate, to the point, and echo the views of people like myself who have lived most of my life within a five-to-seven mile radius of Harrogate town centre.
We have, nevertheless, travelled abroad many times during our 52 years of married life living in close proximity to this lovely town. Some of the proposed changes to the town are just not appropriate – if only Councillor Mackenzie would listen to the views of residents of Harrogate and its outskirts. Surely, the government cannot allow them to go ahead?
Pat Perry, Kirkby Overblow
The great rewilding debate: grass-cutting or cost-cutting?
I love the long and lovely wild verges – they don’t need to be cut at all, except at junctions to let drivers exit side roads safely.
Helen Barclay, Harrogate
Do you really believe that this is anything to do with being eco friendly? It’s about cost-cutting.
The grass verges where l live are prime dumping ground for dog excrement. The verges are unsightly and the result looks like we live in a dump.
Jen Dent, Harrogate
I love the council’s efforts to allow biodiversity to gain ground on the Stray! Keep it up!
Ann Broderick, Harrogate
Deliberately planting colourful wildflowers brings the Stray to life. Looks fabulous.
Leaving roadside verges uncut and scruffy is just another lazy wheeze to short-change council taxpayers.
If you park your car next to them you get wet trying to get into your car in the morning. Several residents on Coppice Drive have taken the obvious action.
Tim Emmott, Harrogate
Wild verges looks amazing, nature always needs more help these days.
Perhaps a few wildflower seeds added will give it a lift for those who think it is just a scruffy look.
Encouraging wildlife in the centre of town is is very uplifting.
Jen Mackay, Harrogate
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- Harrogate district’s wild grass verges continue to divide opinion
- ‘Victory for the people!’: Harrogate’s plastic grass removed this morning
Do you have an opinion on the Harrogate district? Email us at letters@thestrayferret.co.uk. Please include your name and approximate location details. Limit your letters to 350 words. We reserve the right to edit letters.
Harrogate porter’s hands feature on new NHS coronavirus pin
A porter at Harrogate District Hospital has had his hands honoured as part of a new NHS pin to thank staff for their efforts during the pandemic.
Faisal Yousaf, known as Faz, is one of just six people who have taken part in the project to support NHS charities.
TMB Art Metal has developed an initial run of 5,000 of the special fundraising pins. A total of £10 from the sale of each £25 pin will go to NHS Charities Together.
The pins, which are cast in metal from a 1939 Spitfire that flew in the Battle of Britain, are available exclusively by clicking or tapping here.
Read more:
Colleagues of Faisal put him forward for the project. He was on the frontline in the emergency department and the admissions unit taking patients to and from the intensive care unit.
He works all around the hospital transporting patients, blood supply and equipment, as well collecting items from nearby villages and Leeds.
Faisal said:
“I feel overwhelmed to be a part of this project. I’ve been here for around two years, and to me, my colleagues are not colleagues but friends and family.
“I was seeing first-hand the doctors and nurses who’d been in full PPE for 12, 13 hours coming out of intensive care, their expressions, body language and the scars the equipment made.
“Then in the days and weeks that followed it became a really proud achievement to have all my colleagues around me and to be a part of that team.”
Sammy Lambert, business development, charity and volunteer manager said:
Gallery: sun shines on Harrogate food and drink festival“I am delighted that we are involved in such a monumental project. Faz is an incredible colleague and a real asset to #teamHDFT.
“All of our colleagues across the trust are so grateful to be part of such a lovely initiative to thank the NHS.
“I see first-hand the difference the monies raised through donations from projects such as this can make – thank you.”
Harrogate’s food and drink festival returned to the Stray today to become the town’s first major event since the coronavirus pandemic.
The event dodged the bad weather of the last week, as the sun shone on the Oatlands Drive part of the Stray that hosted the event.
The festival will be open again tomorrow to offer people the chance to enjoy international cuisine, independent bars, artisan stalls, live music and a fun fair.
The organisers have once again partnered with the mental health charity Mind, with the Harrogate district team stationed on the exit.
Read more:
- Wetherby Road expected to reopen on Tuesday
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Mike Gibbs, chair of Harrogate district Mind, told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s fantastic. We are so grateful to the event organisers who have helped over the years to raise money for Mind.
“Like other charities we are having a tough time with coronavirus. Events like this are going to help save lives.”
Amy Griffin, who is working on the Doe Harrogate stall, told the Stray Ferret:
“It feels amazing, Harrogate is such a great place to be. It feels a bit more normal doesn’t it? Everyone is here.
“We’ve got party rings, rainbows, Victoria sponge cake, the crowd favourite Biscoff and plenty more.”
Adele Wrightson, on the Fire and Dough stall, told the Stray Ferret:
“This is the first time we have been down here, we are from Northumberland. It’s great weather so lovely to have it outdoors.
“It’s odd to have so many people in one place. This is the biggest event we have done in recent times, they have gradually been getting more busy over the summer.”
If you miss the Stray event, it will be back at Ripley Castle on August 28 to 30.
More pictures:
Wetherby Road in Harrogate is expected to reopen on Tuesday after a water pipe burst yesterday.
The part closure of such a busy road caused long delays yesterday as drivers sought alternative routes. This looks set to continue all weekend and Monday.
Wetherby Road remains closed from Masham Close to the junction with Hookstone Road.
Yorkshire Water has confirmed that its engineers have now fixed the broken pipe.
North Yorkshire County Council previously said the aim was to reopen the road this weekend.
However, that has been pushed back. The road has suffered “significant damage” so workers need more time to fix it.
Read more:
- Wetherby Road in Harrogate closed in both directions
- Yorkshire Warrior obstacle challenge to go ahead next month
It’s unclear at this time whether Wetherby Road will be open for the morning commute on Tuesday at this time.
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:
“The burst pipe on Wetherby Road has now been repaired. It caused significant damage to the road surface in the area and our teams will be working throughout the weekend to reinstate the road and reduce disruption to a minimum.”
An eyewitness told the Stray Ferret:
Wetherby Road in Harrogate closed in both directions“They were working on it on Friday morning and they said they might have to close the road, I think they left it as late as they could.
“But it was the worst timing really, on a Friday afternoon.”
Wetherby Road in Harrogate has been closed in both directions just as the evening rush hour begins, due to a broken water pipe.
Heavy traffic is already starting to build up around the area.
The busy commuter route could be closed for more than a day between Masham Close and the junction with Hookstone Road, according to North Yorkshire County Council.
The council said on Yorkshire Water‘s engineers “were on scene and aim to reinstate the road over the weekend”. It apologised for any inconvenience.
Wetherby Road in #Harrogate is closed in both directions from Masham Close to the junction with Hookstone Road.
This is due to a collapsed @YorkshireWater pipe.
Their engineers are on scene & aim to reinstate the road over the weekend.
Apologies for any inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/3LzLPmoFeI
— North Yorkshire Council (@northyorksc) June 25, 2021
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson said:
“Due to a burst water pipe, we’ve had to close Wetherby Road from Masham Close to the junction with Hookstone Road.
“Our contractors are on with fixing the pipe and assessing the work that needs to be done to get the road open safely again. We’re sorry about any disruption this causes.”