Pilot in hang-glider fatality granted bail

Jon Orders, the pilot of the hang glider who allegedly swallowed possible video evidence after his passenger plunged to her death after falling from his glider, has been granted bail.

Orders was granted bail on charges of obstruction of justice, but was not immediately released, and will have to abide by conditions when he is released on Monday. The conditions include a $5,750 surety, giving up his passport, and he is not allowed to leave the province. The 50-year-old man has also had his hang gliding licence suspended.

Orders was piloting a hang glider with Lenami Godinez-Avila as his passenger, when the 27-year-old woman fell 300 metres to her death moments after taking off from Mount Woodside.

The man’s lawyer did not say when the card was passed, just that Mounties had retrieved the card. RCMP Cst. Tracy Wolbeck  says they will be working on extracting the information, “We won’t be commenting any further regarding the evidence. We have processes in place in order to try and extract what’s on the card.”

Wolbeck says it’s too early to say if more serious charges will be laid. “This has obviously been a very unique case, we can’t lose sight of the fact that somebody here lost their life. Our focus now is on answering the questions and we’ll have to see where the evidence leads us.”

Wolbeck says the victim’s family has come to Chilliwack to find answers, “and to find clarity regarding the death of their daughter, we have a team of experienced investigators committed to finding those answers.”
    
Wolbeck says the family is asking for privacy.

“I’ve been in touch with the victim services coordinator who has been with the family since the beginning of the incident, they’re obviously having a very difficult time through this journey, and in fact they would like to request privacy as they through this journey.”

Meanwhile, loved ones of Lenami Godinez-Avila have launched an online memorial, where you can make a donation to help start a new scholarship at Simon Fraser University. The fund will help female international students who have a passion for “sustainability and volunteerism within the Mexican-Canadian community.”