Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon dies in Richmond parachuting accident

Defence has confirmed that a training accident gone wrong at the RAAF Base in Richmond on Wednesday March 6th has led to the tragic death of Lance Corporal Jack Fitzgibbon, following injuries sustained after a parachuting incident at the Air Force Base.

The 33-year old Jack Fitzgibbon was the son of former Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, and the soldier had recently become a member of the Special Operations Command in what was described as his ‘dream job’. Though Defence are currently investigating the cause of the accident, they will not be providing further comment on the incident until the cause is determined.

Acting Special Operations Commander Brigadier James Kidd addressed a press conference about the incident, providing a statement about the Lance Corporal to those in attendance: “Jack was a much loved and respected soldier within the 2nd Commando Regiment, which is part of the Special Operations Command in the Army. Jack was loved for his courage and known for his sense of humour and his service to the country.

“Jack had served his country on operations abroad and also closer to home, serving with country and local communities as part of natural disaster responses. Defence has initiated a formal investigation into this incident as we seek to learn how we can strengthen our processes, but we acknowledge that military training is inherently risky, and we remain committed to constantly training at the highest standards to achieve the level of excellence that we know our nation demands of us. Nonetheless, that investigation is underway and we’ll be able to provide you some further information in due course.”

Brigadier Kidd also presented a statement from Joel Fitzgibbon on behalf of the wider family, which said:

“We are devastated and heartbroken by the loss of our wonderful Jack. Serving in the Special Forces was Jack’s dream job, and we take some comfort from the fact that he died serving his nation in the uniform of the Australian Defence Force. Jack was a dedicated, highly skilled and courageous soldier. He was an experienced parachutist. Our lives will never be the same without Jack, but we will always remain proud of him and his many achievements.” 

The wider Australian Defence Force has currently halted all parachuting training exercises while they investigate the circumstances around Jack’s passing.