In what seems to have been a defective parachute-related tragedy, a man died while skydiving in central Florida on Monday, according to officials.
The skydiver was discovered dead near DeLand Municipal Airport, roughly 30 minutes west of Daytona Beach, according to the DeLand Police Department.
His name has not yet been made public as authorities attempt to contact his family. Around 11:45 a.m., police said, officers got to the area after getting 911 calls reporting a skydiving incident, and the guy had already been pronounced deceased.
Just before 12:30 p.m. local time on Monday, the police agency tweeted a photo taken close to the airport tarmac. Authorities verified the guy had died while skydiving owing to a parachute problem and “hard landing” in the related tweet.
The agency tweeted, “DeLand PD is now on site at the DeLand Airport.” “A man skydiver died after a hard landing and a malfunctioning parachute.”
According to DeLand police, an inquiry is being conducted to ascertain what caused the collision. To determine the reason for the skydiver’s death, an autopsy will be carried out by the Volusia County Medical Examiner’s Office.
In the US, fatal skydiving mishaps are rather infrequent. The U.S. Parachute Association’s data indicates that 10 fatal accidents occurred in 2021, which the organization said was the fewest fatal accidents per year ever recorded (0.28 deaths per 100,000 jumps). The organization said that throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, dozens of skydivers each year perished until a gradual drop in mortality began to occur around 2000.
The sport is now safer than ever because to advances in technology, equipment development, and skydiver training programs, according to the organization.