Desperate last act before the soldier’s death

The son of former Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon reportedly attempted to cut the lines of his defective parachute before he died.

Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon died on Wednesday in a parachute accident during a Special Forces training exercise.

He was taking part in a “routine” military exercise at the RAAF base in Richmond, 50 kilometres north-west of Sydney, at around 6.30pm on Wednesday evening when his parachute failed to open.

He suffered severe head injuries and was taken to Westmead Hospital in western Sydney, where he died.

Grace Fitzgibbon, Corporal Fitzgibbon’s sister and a Channel 7 journalist, paid tribute to him on Instagram, saying: “I love you my dear big brother, I am so proud of you” and calling him “our guardian angel”.

Desperate final act

The Daily Mail reported that Mr Fitzgibbon made a jump from a height of 14,000 feet (4,260 metres).

When his parachute did not open completely, he tried to use a knife to cut the lines that connected him to the defective device during the fall. This would have allowed him to open his reserve parachute.

However, the media outlet reported that his body was found still clutching the knife.

The Department of Defence released a statement on behalf of the Fitzgibbon family.

“We are devastated and heartbroken by the loss of our wonderful Jack.

“Our lives will never be the same without Jack, but we will always be proud of him and his many achievements,” the statement said.

“Serving in Special Forces was Jack’s dream job and it is a comfort to us that he died serving his country in the uniform of the Australian Defence Force.

The family said Jack was a dedicated, highly skilled and brave soldier and an experienced parachutist.

Brigadier Kidd confirmed the death of Lance Corporal Fitzgibbon on Thursday afternoon.

He said he was loved for his courage and known for his sense of humor.

“Jack has served his country on deployments overseas and has also served his country and local communities closer to home in natural disaster relief,” he said.

Brigadier Kidd said members of the Lance Corporal Regiment had interrupted their training exercise and a formal investigation into the incident was underway.

“We recognize that military training inherently involves risks, and we remain committed to continually training at the highest levels to achieve the level of excellence our country demands of us,” he added.

According to eyewitness reports published in the local newspaper The Hawkesbury PostOne soldier’s parachute failed to open as she and another soldier attempted to land near the Sydney Polo Club, not far from the base.

In a statement, Defence Minister Richard Marles, a close friend of Joel Fitzgibbon, paid tribute to Corporal Fitzgibbon and described his death as a “tragedy”.

“Every single friend and colleague of Lance Corporal Fitzgibbon in the Australian Defence Force will feel the gravity of this news today,” he said.

Mr Marles said Lance Corporal Fitzgibbon served with honour and great skill.

“My thoughts are with Jack’s entire family, including Joel, Jack’s mother Dianne, his partner and his sisters.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also expressed his condolences to Corporal Fitzgibbon’s family.

“This tragic accident is a harsh reminder that there are no easy days for those who defend our country,” Albanese said.

“Today the burden of grief falls on a dear friend of so many in the Labour family.

“May Jack rest in peace.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton issued a joint statement with Opposition Defence Spokesman Andrew Hastie and Deputy Spokesman Phillip Thompson.

“Like his father Joel, Jack Fitzgibbon loved his country and felt called to serve it. But he chose a different path than his father – the army rather than Parliament,” they said.

“Jack’s tragic death will impact the entire Australian Army, particularly the 2nd Commando Regiment.”

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison also paid tribute to him.

“My condolences go out to all at 2 Commando who have suffered the terrible loss of LCPL Jack Fitzgibbon who was killed in a skydiving accident,” he posted on X.

“And most of all his family, including his father and his former parliamentary colleague Joel Fitzgibbon. A sad loss. We are forever grateful for his service.”

The Ministry of Defence has launched a formal investigation into the incident, Brigadier Kidd said.

“But we recognize that military training inherently involves risks, and we remain committed to continually training at the highest levels to achieve the level of excellence we know our country demands of us.”