Mr Simkins was holidaying on the island of Zante when the accident happened.

Wood Green man dies in parachuting accident

by Flora Drury Tuesday, June 12, 2012
3:13 PM

A Wood Green man has fallen to his death in a parachuting accident while on holiday in Greece.

Jake Simkins, believed to be of Dunbar Road, was on holiday with his seven-months-pregnant girlfriend when he died on the Greek island of Zante on Friday.

Local police reports suggest that Mr Simkins had been base jumping with a parachute when it became stuck on a cliff above Navagio beach in north-west Zante.

It is understood Mr Simkins, in his early 40s, clung on for three hours waiting to be rescued by the emergency services before he fell to his death.

In March, Mr Simkins - who grew up in Highgate - posted on BASE Zakynthos’s Facebook page “Cant wait. June can’t come quick enough!”.

Tributes have now been left underneath the message. Jessie Slater wrote: “So awful ... thinking of your missus and unborn baby.”

The BBC quoted Siats Sotiros, a local police officer, as saying London Underground engineer Mr Simkins’ parachute became snagged on the cliff face on the island, also known as Zakynthos.

Dutch tourist Corne van der Eerden witnessed the accident.

He told the BBC: “We heard a flapping sound and saw what we thought was a guy sky-diving or parachuting.

“He crashed into the wall - it looked to be about 60m high.”

Mr van der Eerden said the parachute appeared stuck on the rocks.

“I shouted out to him and he said he thought he had broken his leg. He said he had his mobile phone on him and was going to call his wife,” he explained

“I told him to be careful but he said he was going to hang on tight. Our boat arrived then, so my wife and I had to leave.”

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed the death and said it was assisting the victim’s family.

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