Bellingham Man Identified in Fatal Paragliding Crash

Alger, Washington- Thomas “TJ” Olney of Bellingham was identified by Officials as the man killed in a Paragliding accident at the Samish Lookout on Blanchard Mountain around 3 pm on  July 13th, 2016.

According to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, witnesses said that Mr.  Olney’s had been paragliding with others and shortly after takeoff his parachute collapsed and he fell to his death.

Firefighters from the Alger Fire Department and Paramedics responded to the Samish Outlook while  Firefighters from District 6 fire and the  Allen/Edison fire department  were also called to assist in the initial search for the man, as first responders were not sure where the man had landed during the crash.

The first arriving Alger Fire units were  quickly able to  obtain the patients location and initiated CPR but the man died at the scene.

The Bellingham Herald reports that Mr. Olney had recently retired from Western Washington University in Bellingham last month after spending 30-years as an Associate Professor of Marketing.

Taylor Franks, a former student of Professor Olney wrote on Facbeook “Professor Olney was one crazy dude but he always kept me interested, RIP.”