73-Year-Old US Man Dies While Skydiving After Parachute Fails To Open

A 73-year-old skydiver died in Arizona, United States after his parachute did not fully deploy to slow his descent, as per a report in CBS News. The man, Terry Gardner, was skydiving with three fellow experienced people, who were making their third jump when the incident took place on January 31.

The group had planned a formation jump from about 14,000 feet, police said. However, it did not go as intended because Mr Gardner experienced some complications when he attempted to deploy his parachute. "While they were unable to complete the intended formation, it is not believed that this contributed to the accident," they added. The other three skydivers landed safely, however, Mr Gardner was rushed to a hospital where he died due to his injuries.

According to Skydive Arizona, the 73-year-old was "a highly experienced skydiver with several thousands of jumps". "The jumper did not deploy the reserve (second) parachute. The skydiver was jumping with parachute gear owned and maintained by the jumper and the weather conditions were clear and calm. An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the accident and no further statements will be made until the results of the investigation have been released."

The Federal Aviation Administration officials said the agency will look into how the parachute was packed, as well as flying restrictions for the pilot and the aircraft. 

A few days ago, a 33-year-old British base jumper fell to his death after leaping off the roof of a 29-storey apartment block in Pattaya, Thailand. The tragic accident happened after his parachute failed to open during the stunt. The incident happened on January 28 when Nathy Odinson, 33, from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, illegally climbed to the top of the 29-floor apartment building in the coastal resort of Pattaya.

As per security officials, he had parked his car outside the condo, sneaked inside, and went upstairs to do a base jump with his friend filming a video on the ground. After counting down and jumping, the parachute he was holding failed to deploy and he crashed through a tree and fell to the ground. 

Police in Pattaya were alerted to the accident at 7.30 pm and rushed to the building where they found Mr Odinson's body on the ground. Paramedics who were called on the scene pronounced him dead and an investigation into the accident has been launched.