A 33-year-old Marine died in a freak skydiving accident in Australia. Cherilyn McGraw, a special education teacher from Hampstead, N.C., is morning the sudden loss of her husband, Brandon McGraw, after he died in a skydiving accident, a trip Cherilyn won on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" in January 2013.
On Saturday, Dec, 14 Cherilyn and Brandon went to Euroa Skydive, an Australian skydiving school, The Daily News reports. Ian Matthews, an employee at the school, said the couple ascended in the same plane to make the jumps. Reportedly Brandon, who had recently returned from Afghanistan, watched as his wife and an instructor jumped first.
Following their dive, Brandon jumped by himself.
"He floated for three or four minutes with a good canopy," Matthews said. "A short time before lading, he suddenly began turning his parachute dramatically to the left and right and eventually crashed into the ground."
By the time paramedics arrived Brandon was in cardiac arrest and they could not resuscitate him. He died at the scene. Matthews told the Daily News that Brandon was an experienced skydiver with more than a "few jumps under his belt." He also said Brandon had successfully completed the required training he needed to complete a solo jump.
The Euroa Police Department is still investigating the cause of death but Australian media outlets reported that high winds are believed to be a factor in the death. This is the first fatality for Euroa Skydive School since it opened in 1983.
"My hero. My angel. These are truly such symbolic photos. He was happy and doing what he loved. It's amazing all that photos can capture in a moments time," Cherilyn wrote on Facebook. "The last 2 photos taken. I love you more than anything in the world, honey. You are the most amazing man."
In January, Cherilyn and another woman appeared on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" to compete in a competition called "Stuff Your Down Under Pants." The two women had to quickly stuff "pants" with large balls. Cherilyn had the most at the end of the contest winning the Australian trip.
