KEY POINTS:
A skydiver cheated death after a mistake during landing south of Auckland yesterday - just eight months after watching her partner die in similar circumstances on the same airfield.
Jo Snodin, 27, an experienced skydiving videographer, failed to slow down her parachute as she came in to land at Mercer Airport at mid-day, suffering moderate injuries to her leg and pelvis as she hit the ground.
On February 3 this year, Ms Snodin watched from the ground as her partner and skydive instructor, Simon Hepple, 32, lost air in his parachute in a landing which killed him at the airfield.
Both Ms Snodin and Mr Hepple came to New Zealand from Britain about 18 months ago and worked at Mercer.
Ms Snodin was taken to Middlemore Hospital by the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter.
She remained there last night, where staff said she was in a comfortable condition.
Chief Executive of Mercer Airfield Jim Lyver told the Herald that "one or two" skydivers who witnessed Mr Hepple's death were also present when the latest incident took place.
He held a full debrief with staff after the accident and they were doing well.
Both Ms Snodin and Mr Hepple's accidents had occurred in their private time during solo jumps and involved skydiver error, he said.
"They're well aware of the dangers ... if you make a mistake you can pay for it with your life. These people are the master of their own destiny."
Ms Snodin had skydived "at least 1000" times. "That's pretty experienced. That's what makes it so hard when someone does something like that."
Mr Lyver said Ms Snodin was not a risk taker but it appeared that she had simply not "flared" her shoot to slow it for landing. It was fortunate her injuries were not worse.
Ms Snodin's job as a videographer would not be compromised by the accident.
He said skydiving was like any other sport with risks of injury.
"There is a fine line between death, injury and no injury."
Mr Lyver, who witnessed the accident, said other skydivers in the area landed well at the same time and the parachute had deployed as normal, meaning that weather and equipment problems were not thought to be factors in the heavy landing.
While Ms Snodin was in hospital recovering from her injuries, it was "inappropriate" to discuss why she failed to slow her parachute.
Mr Lyver expected Ms Snodin to be discharged from hospital today.
