News of the death of 24-year-old Louie Raymond Pestaño, the University of Sto. Tomas medical student from Cebu, in a skydiving exercise, was a grim reminder of how fleeting life can be even for the young.
According to an Inquirer report, Pestaño was with his instructor Gary when he performed a “beginner’s jump” of 3,500 feet in Ormoc City, Leyte, last Thursday afternoon.
Pestaño’s main parachute didn’t open. He apparently lost consciousness after spinning in midair. He wasn’t able to pull out his reserve chute and crashed in a rice paddy some distance away from an airport runway.
We have yet to verify reports that one of those who witnessed the crash was Pestaño’s father, retired police chief Orlando Pestaño. Due to the family’s understandable reluctance to talk about the incident, there were few other details available about the circumstances surrounding Pestaño’s death.
At this point, it would be better for the Cebu Parachute Club, the organization that Pestaño signed up for, to explain their side of the accident.
Four days after the tragedy, not one of the club’s organizers has come forward to explain how it happened.
Not doing so would not only damage their reputation but also expose them to possible legal action by the Pestaño family.
Serious questions arise about safety measures taken or overlooked in this form of extreme sports.
A free fall from an airplane isn’t a child’s game for thrill seekers.
It requires the strictest of regulations by government bodies, including the Civil Aeronautics Board and Philippine Air Force, which accredits the flight of planes for commercial or government use.
Beginners like Pestaño deserve the maximum precautions for such a high-risk sport where the slightest error can cost a life, as it did in Ormoc’s fiesta.
Pestaño was supposed to be with an engineer during the beginner’s jump but the companion got cold feet and backed out at the last minute.
He’s the lucky one.
An investigation into Pestaño’s death is in order and the people responsible for organizing his “beginner’s jump” should be made to account for it.
Was there a malfunction in the gear? Was human error involved? Was Pestaño sufficiently prepared for his maiden—and last—skydive?
We could only hope that the Pestaño family takes action if indeed there is some reason to believe that their child’s death could have been prevented.
Not everyone can afford to engage in skydiving as a diversion and the few people who do entrust their safety to the supposed professionals.
Let not the lessons of Pestaño’s death remain unlearned.