Red Lion stretchered off Bishan field after hard landing during practice jump

SINGAPORE - A member of the Red Lions parachute team was carried away on a stretcher after a hard landing during a test free-fall jump on Thursday (July 15) afternoon at Bishan.

The skydiver, who was parachuting onto a field near Junction 8 mall, had a flag attached to him which got caught in the grass as he was about to land.

The Straits Times saw the Red Lion parachutist take a hard fall forward and remain motionless on the ground.

Medical staff who were on site quickly tended to him and placed a neck brace on him. He was then carried off the field on a stretcher.

The accident occurred during the Red Lions' second test jump of the day at about 2pm. Five of them had earlier descended onto the field at about 9am.

The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment on the incident.

The skydivers are slated to make jumps at various heartland sites on Aug 7 and 8 as part of National Day celebrations.

While the actual sites for the National Day celebrations have not been announced, the Singapore Armed Forces said on Wednesday that suitability assessment jumps would be conducted from Thursday to July 29.

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Members of the public are advised not to be alarmed and to keep clear of restricted areas within these regions for their safety.

This is not the first time a Red Lion hit a snag during a rehearsal, which speaks to the calculated risks taken by the skydivers in every free-fall jump.

In 2017, a member of the team had to be stretchered off after a hard landing at the F1 Pit Building during a rehearsal jump for the Army Open House. He suffered minor scrapes. During his landing, he got entangled in mid-air in the parachute of another skydiver who had landed ahead of him.

In 2015, a Red Lions skydiver had to cut off his parachute while descending to the Padang during a rehearsal for the National Day Parade. He managed to deploy his back-up parachute, before landing safely on the parade grounds.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.