Ditching involving Airborne Windsports Sting, REG_1994011951, Cape Byron, New South Wales

The hang glider pilot was soaring off the cliffs east of the Cape Byron lighthouse where the nearest area suitable for a landing is Tallows Beach, several hundred metres to the south. The wind had been ESE at about 15 knots prior to a sudden arrival of a front passing through which changed the wind to a 20 to 25 knot southerly. Other hang glider pilots had landed prior to the arrival of the front which was not accompanied by any telltale cloud change. The hang glider pilot was soaring at about 500ft when the change came through and was unable to glide into wind to a beach landing. He landed in the surf and was apparently unable to extricate himself from his harness and drowned.

The above details were provided by the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia.