Two men were injured—one fatally—while skydiving in tandem in Arizona on Sunday.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the area of the Grand Canyon National Park Airport around 9:55 a.m. to reports of two men injured in a skydiving accident.
One suffered a broken leg and was transported to the Flagstaff Medical Center. The other, identified as Christopher Swales, was unconscious when deputies arrived, and paramedics performed lifesaving efforts on site, the sheriff’s office said.
Department of Euphemisms: UK man died skydiving in US. Coconino County Sheriff’s Office said skydivers had “encountered difficulties while approaching the landing area. These difficulties caused the pair to free fall and hit the ground in what was described as a ‘hard landing.’”
— Rick Tetzeli (@tetzeli) September 11, 2019
Swales, a 55-year-old from the United Kingdom, was later pronounced dead by doctors from the Flagstaff Medical Center.
The men’s skydive had been going as planned until the two approached the landing area, where difficulties caused them to free fall and hit the ground in what was described as a “hard landing,” the sheriff’s office said.
Investigators are looking into the details of the accident, but do not currently see indications that a crime was committed, the sheriff’s office said. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified and also is investigating the incident.
