A skydiver tragically died after a collision with another skydiver during a jump in Orange, Massachusetts. Reports indicate that Robert Szabo, 62, from Connecticut, passed away three days following the incident while jumping from a Jumptown skydiving plane.
On October 4, during the jump, Szabo collided with a fellow skydiver. Interestingly, he landed safely with his parachute activated, but sustained fatal injuries in the collision.
According to a statement from Jumptown, “The injured jumper landed on the airport grounds under a fully functional parachute.”
Szabo was taken to a hospital near Worcester and was disconnected from a ventilator on Tuesday after receiving very concerning MRI results.
The coroner has yet to determine the cause of death, and the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office is currently investigating the incident.
Szabo had a background with the Connecticut Parachutist skydiving club in Ellington, Connecticut. His colleagues remarked that, whether with a warm smile or a playful roll of the eyes, he brought joy to those around him. They recall his kindness, patience, and willingness to share his skills and time.
Szabo was also an experienced competitive skydiver and had been flying planes for many years, earning several accolades during his career.
This marks the second fatal skydiving accident at Jumptown in under a decade, the first being 27-year-old Alexis Zayas, who died after crashing into a barn in 2018. Additionally, in 2022, a Jumptown skydiver suffered serious injuries when his parachute became entangled, leading to a hard landing on a building.
