‘Fly High Ant Allen, way above the sky’: Cape paraglider killed in crash

Friends are mourning experienced paraglider and aerial photographer Ant Allen, who fell to his death in Llandudno on Tuesday afternoon.

Ineke van Huyssteen of ER24 said paramedics found the paraglider lying on the front stoep of a house in the Cape Town seaboard suburb.

Various emergency services were in attendance. 

“The man was found to be in a critical condition, and his vital signs deteriorated rapidly. Despite the paramedics’ efforts, they were unable to revive him, and he was later declared dead on the scene,” Van Huyssteen said in a statement.

He was honoured by friends who poured out their condolences on his Facebook wall.

Peter Greenwall shared: “Fly High Ant Allen, way above the sky.”

Anton van Rooyen posted: “It is with great sadness to say goodbye to a dear friend, brother and paragliding buddy Ant ... I will always remember our times in the air and on the ground ...”

On Wednesday morning, Basil Pfister posted: “I got to work a few minutes ago and saw that Our Father covered your mountain in a fine blanket of cloud this morning in memory of you. Peace be your eternal journey my brother. Until we meet again ...”

On his business website, The Aerial Perspective, Allen disclosed in his profile information that he had survived a serious paragliding accident in December 2000 — which took him almost a year to recover  from.

He had crashed his competition paraglider at Dasklip near Porterville.

Poignantly, the post states: “The near-death saga and temporary paralysis left (Allen) yet more focused on making something positive out of his second chance ... He jokingly refers to it as his most positive experience he would never like to have to live through again.”

In October, Allen shared his happiness with his “wonderful and special” wife Beverly as he celebrated their seven-year wedding anniversary.