Accidents are to be expected in skydiving. It is, after all, an extreme sport. Over 99% of people who jump out of an aeroplane will do it just once, attached to an instructor.

Those people are unlikely to come to any harm. They’re strapped to a professional who has performed thousands of jumps and who makes all the decisions. For the majority of participants, skydiving is a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, just a tick on a bucket list. They never do it again.

For the tiny fraction who go on to jump solo, skydiving becomes more than just a thrill. It is an obsession, a lifestyle, something they are – rather than merely something they do.

As those starting out get used to the elements of the sport – freefall, canopy flight, and landing, they are bound to experience scrapes and bruises, perhaps even a broken bone or two. Skydivers do what they can to minimise risks. They look out for each other – check their own gear and that of the people they are jumping with, looking out for anything amiss: frayed loops that may not hold a closing pin in properly, flaps that have become untucked, webbing that is wearing out.

This close-knit community is built on equal parts adrenaline and trust.

Accidents are to be expected in skydiving, but deaths are rare. Most skydivers are prepared to encounter a fatal accident at some time if they stick with the sport for long enough. When a jumper loses his or her life, a universal, traditional toast is given:

Blue Skies, Black Death.