Former Australian boxing champion Josh Frederiksen has died at the age of 36 following a skydiving accident near Brisbane. The light heavyweight suffered fatal injuries despite his parachute successfully opening.
Frederiksen was taking part in a routine jump at the Skydive Ramblers Toogoolawah, near Brisbane. He was an experienced skydiver who had successfully completed over 100 jumps before the accident.
Accident Details and Injuries
Australian outlet news.com.au reported that while Frederiksen's parachute opened as usual, he was caught in turbulence, resulting in a hard landing. He suffered injuries to his chest, pelvis and abdomen.
The Australian was rushed to Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital by air ambulance, but died overnight. His passing was confirmed by the Australian Parachute Federation (APF).
In a statement, the APF said: "APF is deeply saddened by the death of one of our members following a landing accident. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the skydiving community."
"Skydiving carries inherent risks, and while we work continually to reduce those risks, they cannot be eliminated entirely."
Boxing Career and Tributes
Throughout his boxing career, Frederiksen competed 20 times, recording 13 wins, five losses and two draws, while also claiming the Australian light heavyweight title.
Fellow boxer and close friend Nick Midgley was amongst those paying tribute. "The world lost a special man through a tragic skydiving accident last night," he said on Instagram.
"I've honestly never heard anyone say a bad word about Josh Frederiksen. He walked out his values and morals in everything he did, and I considered him a brother to me. So I'm absolutely crushed, I also know how his death will impact a lot of other people too. My condolences to his family and loved ones."
Another friend added: "The man who has completed his mission on Earth. With you, I finally know what it actually feels like to have found my missing rib."
"I know your heart and soul are with God now. And I guess it's your turn to look after me, but probably in the form of my forever guardian angel."
Fundraising Appeal
A GoFundMe appeal launched following his passing has collected over $25,000 through donations from mates and well-wishers.
