A B.C. man has died in a parachute accident in Tanzania after paragliding from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
A tweet by Tanzania Parks, the agency that manages the African nation’s 16 national parks, says tourist Justin Kyllo, 51, died Saturday morning after an accident on the mountain at Stella Point.
Kyllo was the owner of Smoke and Bones BBQ, a restaurant and catering company in North Vancouver, B.C.
A Facebook post from the restaurant earlier this month says Kyllo and his wife, Cheryl, would be taking part in the annual Wings Of Kilimanjaro charity event.
The event’s website says participants ascend Kilimanjaro’s 5,895-metre peak and paraglide back down in order to raise money for community projects in Tanzania.
This year’s event was meant to raise money to expand an elementary school that is over capacity, according to the restaurant’s Facebook post.
Kyllo’s fundraising page on the website says he has participated in the event in 2013 and 2016.
His wife Cheryl’s own fundraising page says she took part in 2016.
It’s not yet known if Cheryl Kyllo was involved in her husband’s jump, or if she suffered any injuries.
A person who answered the phone at the restaurant Sunday said the family is asking for privacy and isn’t commenting right now.
Global Affairs Canada says in an email that consular officials are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information.
—With files from the Canadian Press
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