A 73-year-old man from Casa Grande, Arizona, lost his life in a skydiving accident on Jan. 31, the Eloy Police Department reported.
Terry Gardner had been out for a day of skydiving in Eloy, a popular skydiving location 65 miles south of Phoenix.
At approximately 12:04 p.m., Mr. Gardner and three friends and fellow skydivers embarked on their third jump of the day. The group had planned a formation jump from an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet.
Though Mr. Gardner’s parachute opened, “unexpected complications arose,” according to the police statement, resulting in Mr. Gardner suffering a hard landing without his parachute fully deploying.
Eloy Fire Department personnel administered first-aid measures and Mr. Gardner was rushed to the Casa Grande Banner hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The other skydivers landed safely without any issues.
Though the group was unable to complete their intended formation, investigators do not believe their plans contributed to the accident.
At the moment, it remains unclear whether the parachute was defective, whether it was incorrectly folded, or whether there was another issue that prevented the device from deploying properly.
An inspection of the parachute will be conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine the cause of the complications.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with all those who knew and loved Terry Gardner during this challenging time,” the Eloy Police Department added.
Balloon Crash
The accident comes two weeks after a hot-air balloon, operated by Droplyne Hot Air Balloon Rides, crashed in a rural desert area about five miles north of Eloy on Jan. 14.
The balloon had taken off with 13 people on board, including 8 skydivers, who jumped from the gondola shortly before it crashed into the desert, the initial report said.
A recent police update made it clear that the skydivers completed their jumps before any issue with the balloon had become apparent.
The crash killed four of the remaining occupants on board, including the pilot, while leaving a fifth critically injured. All of the remaining occupants, except for the 37-year-old pilot, Cornelius Van Der Walt, were people in their twenties.
An investigation into the precise cause of the crash is being led by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA.
Eloy, in Pinal County, Arizona, bills itself as the skydiving capital of the world, and has hosted many national and international skydiving championships. The small desert city is also home to two parachute manufacturers.
