Charlotte O'Leary died in a paragliding accident in France last week. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
A French police report on the death of New Zealand paraglider Charlotte O'Leary in the French Alps has pointed to strong wind and poor weather as the cause.<\/p>\n
Members at the local paragliding club decided not to fly because of the bad weather, the report said.<\/p>\n
French news outlet Le Dauphine Libere reported O'Leary, 30, died shortly after take-off. She was flying solo.<\/p>\n
Fellow paragliders alerted emergency services at 2.30pm after seeing a wing and body on the ground.<\/p>\n
It is understood officers from mountain rescue organisation PGHM Jausiers attended immediately but O'Leary was already dead, the report said.<\/p>\n
O'Leary, an experienced paraglider, was holidaying in Europe with her brother when the fatal accident happened last Thursday in Saint-Andr-les-Alpes.<\/p>\n
The area, less than two hours from Nice, is one of the world's most acclaimed paragliding sites.<\/p>\n
O'Leary, who studied medicine at the University of Otago and worked at Hauora Tairwhiti, previously Tairawhiti District Health, from 2017-19, had been living in Queenstown.<\/p>\n
She had planned to return to New Zealand for the winter ski season at Coronet Peak and had taken a role as part of NZ Ski's medical team.<\/p>\n
NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson said O'Leary was an experienced emergency doctor who was coming back for her second season with the mountain's medical rescue team.<\/p>\n
\"People are devastated,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Losing anyone in these circumstances is very tragic and she was a really talented and valuable member of the medical team.<\/p>\n
\"Our sympathies go to the family it's tragic.\"<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the Herald it was helping O'Leary's family.<\/p>\n
\"We are aware of the death of a New Zealand citizen following a paragliding accident in France and are providing assistance to the family,\" a spokesman said.<\/p>\n
When approached by the Herald, her family this week declined to comment.<\/p>\n
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Read more here: <\/p>\n
Bad weather to blame in NZ paraglider Charlotte O'Leary's death in France - New Zealand Herald<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Charlotte O'Leary died in a paragliding accident in France last week. Photo \/ Supplied A French police report on the death of New Zealand paraglider Charlotte O'Leary in the French Alps has pointed to strong wind and poor weather as the cause Continue reading