Gary is a popular Southern California camera jumper who went to work in New Zealand for a season to film skydiving tandems. During a BASE jump Gary hit a wall under canopy and fell the rest of the way.

I worked at a DZ with Gary in California and he was a great fellow and a heads up jumper. Gary's family is actively trying to track down more information on Gary's fatality. They are especially looking to contact his girlfriend who witnessed the jump. Anyone with information can e-mail here.

UPDATE DELIVERED ON 13-DEC-2009 Gary Ervin Dawson, 29, of Los Angeles was killed while jumping from a Cone Rock at Fox Glacier on the West Coast.

Mr Dawson and a companion were base jumping from the 300 metre rock.

His companion John Berry jumped first and got into difficulty when his parachute opened unevenly, and turned him toward the rock face.
He was stranded on a ledge about halfway down.
Mr Dawson jumped next, and his parachute also deployed unevenly, and he snagged on the same ledge that Mr Berry caught, then plunged to his death at the base of the rock.
Mr Dawson had been in New Zealand for two years, and both he and Mr Berry are regarded as experts by the base jumping community

If you have a picture, or more details of this jumper, please contact us.