Chute death: 'Ordered to jump'

2006-07-26 23:12

Christel Raubenheimer

Pretoria - The commander of the police's special task force, who died after a parachute accident apparently was ordered to do the jump, even though he was not supposed to do it.

Senior superintendent Jacob Blom, 49, died during a "routine training exercise" in Modimolle.

Beeld has been told by an informed source that Blom had not been cleared to perform parachute jumps for the past nine years.

Blom, known by his colleagues as "Blommie", was seriously injured during the training exercise in Limpopo and was immediately taken by helicopter to Waterkloof air force base.

Beeld's source said Blom was apparently ordered by a senior police official to take part in the night jump.

Something wrong with his arm

The official apparently told him: "You want to be operational? Then you show them you are operational. You will jump."

Blom probably injured his hand when he jumped from the aircraft. Other parachutists saw there was something wrong with his arm before Blom started spinning and falling to the ground.

His parachute opened in time, but he apparently couldn't control it properly because of his injury.

National police spokesperson Sally de Beer said Blom was taken to a Johannesburg hospital where he died.

De Beer said: "A thorough investigation has been launched into the circumstances.

Died before wife reached him

"I'm not going to react to rumours and the investigative process has to be respected.

"I take exception to rumours being spread by someone with their own agenda and making a farce of a proud officer's death."

Blom's wife, Moira, talked to her husband shortly after he landed at Waterkloof base before he was transferred to Sunninghill Hospital, but he died shortly before she reached his side.

- Beeld