Lynette Louw

A freak accident claimed the life of at 47-year old man on Saturday afternoon.

Willem Grobler was flying his hang-glider from Lone Tree Hill when the accident happened.

According to Mias de Klerk of Paradise Aviation in Nelspruit, he was also on the mountain with a student of his paragliding school, and a eyewitness to the accident. “It was a perfect day for flying and a few paragliders were on the mountain,” he said.

He said that Willem was an experienced pilot and his hang-glider was in perfect condition. “He took off and started to gain height when the hang glider suddenly started to fall and crashed into the mountainside approximately 30 meters below us”.

One of the paragliders had Jan Oberholzer of the emergency services’ telephone numbers and he arrived within minutes. Grobler was unfortunately announced dead on the scene.

He grew up in the Lowveld and matriculated at Lowveld High School. He moved with his family to Barberton in 2009 from Gauteng where he started his own woodworking business, Wildonto in the industrial area. He was married to Donelle and they have two daughters, Courtney (13) and Tarryn (7).

A memorial service will be held on Saturday at the Barberton Community Church at 11:00.  

Willem Grobler