Authorities are investigating the death of a 73-year-old experienced skydiver in Arizona after his parachute did not fully deploy during a jump.
Eloy police said the incident occurred just after 12 p.m. Wednesday as Terry Gardner, 73, and three other skydivers were making their third jump of the day at Skydive Arizona.
Police added that the group had planned to make a formation jump from an altitude of about 14,000 feet, but were unable to complete their intended formation.
Police said the formation did not go as planned because Gardner experienced complications while attempting to deploy his parachute. The other three skydivers landed safely, but Gardner’s parachute never fully deployed to slow his descent.
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File – A skydiver in the air is descending to the ground after a jump. (St. Petersburg)
Rescue crews arrived and worked to stabilize Gardner, but he died from his injuries a short time later at a local hospital.
It is unclear at this time whether there was a problem with the parachute, police said, adding that the parachute will be examined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine the cause of the complications.
“Our thoughts and condolences go out to everyone who knew and loved Terry Gardner during this difficult time,” Eloy Polis wrote on social media.
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FILE – Skydivers touch down at Marina Green for the largest aerial skydive ever performed in San Francisco. (John Shearer/Getty Images, T-Mobile)
Skydive Arizona also released a statement to Fox News Digital, expressing condolences over Gardner’s death and the impact he had on the skydiving community.
A company spokesperson said: “The Skydive Arizona community is deeply saddened by the sudden death of a beloved member. I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to their families and friends at this time.”
This is the second skydiving-related fatality in the region in the last month, after a hot air balloon carrying eight skydivers crashed.
Federal authorities are still investigating the Jan. 14 crash of a hot air balloon in the desert region of Eloy, killing the pilot and three passengers and seriously injuring another.
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Eloy police released the name of the victim killed in a hot air balloon crash in Arizona on Sunday. (Credit: FOX 10 Phoenix)
An “unspecified issue” with the balloon’s “hull” may have contributed to the fatal accident, investigators confirmed to The Associated Press.
An “envelope” is a bag that contains hot air to help the balloon rise.
