Mpumalanga skydiver killed during in-air collision

Experienced free faller Hilmar Backer is being remembered by friends and his community this week.
The Mpumalanga skydiver died earlier this month, after a freak collision accident mid-air, turned fatal.

Backer’s three closest friends spoke to YOU magazine this week, and detailed the horrific incident.

“He was the glue that held the four of us together. We were one another’s comrades. Now we can’t imagine jumping again – not without Hilmar. “We’re certain of one thing, though: he died doing the thing that brought him the greatest joy in life.”

Backer’s friend Jogie Botma told YOU

Skydiving accident: Mpumalanga skydiver remembered

Botma and Backer’s remaining skydiving and freefalling friends have been left devastated. Despite the slimmest odds of danger, Hilmar was killed after his head slammed into Rudi Serfontein’s thigh.

To make matters worse, Backer was the friend most concerned with making sure all the necessary safety protocols were always followed. He had over 680 jumps under his belt.

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Botma took to Facebook shortly after the accident, to share a video of one of him and Backer’s last successful freefalls.

“Our last big BASE trip with Hilmar Backer. Boy what an awesome memory it was! Wouldn’t want to share this with anyone other than Hilmar, Rudi and Dylan. Watch this space for another more awesome video in the memory of Hilmar!”, Botma wrote in a Facebook post translated from Afrikaans.