A father of six has died in a horrific skydiving accident, leaving his wife devastated and fearing the family will also lose their home.
Roger Goltz, an IT technician from Jervis Bay, on the New South Wales south coast, died last weekend. He is survived by his wife Kelly and their six children, aged 14 to 25.
Mr. Goltz is an experienced parachutist and had made about 80 jumps before the accident on Saturday.
Although his parachute opened perfectly, it appears that Mr. Goltz turned too low and too fast due to the wind, causing him to land at the wrong angle.
Mr. Goltz suffered severe brain injuries on impact and was put on life support on the spot. He was then taken to hospital, where he died.
“Roger and my 18-year-old son Kai had gone skydiving as they always do. Kai saw his dad go down but didn’t realise it was him until he saw his shoe,” Ms Goltz told Daily Mail Australia.
Mrs. Goltz, who has four of her six children still living at home, worries she won’t be able to keep her home because skydiving isn’t covered by her life insurance.
A GoFundMe was established to support his family, who say they have left an “irreplaceable void in their hearts.”
Roger Goltz, who lives in Jervis Bay on the New South Wales south coast, died last weekend, leaving behind his wife and six children
Mr Goltz is an experienced parachutist and had made about 80 jumps, many with his teenage son, before the accident on Saturday
“Roger was always looking for the next adventure and loved his children, I think he was one of them,” said Mrs. Goltz.
The children are devastated and are wondering if he is in pain or scared, what it means for the two girls and who will walk them down the aisle.
They just lost their best friend.
“You just had to imagine it and he made it happen.”
Ms Goltz said a fellow parachutist with 40 years’ experience had said he had seen similar missteps in the air but that there had never been a fatal accident.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support his family, who say they have left an “irreplaceable void in our hearts.”
He had a very close bond with his six children
Mr. Goltz (far right) had made several skydive jumps with his teenage son Kai
She is now waiting for the coroner’s report to try to understand what went wrong.
The family is supported by the parents of Mr. and Mrs. Goltz
“Roger loved life and his family,” Mrs. Goltz said.
A memorial service will be held for Mr. Goltz next Thursday.