Skydiver Found Dead Miles from Where He Hoped to Land After Parachute 'Failed to Deploy'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:istock

istock

A man died skydiving over the weekend after his parachute “failed to deploy,” according to Louisiana authorities.

TheCaddo Parish Sheriff’s Officereceived a report from Gilliam Airport about a missing skydiver on Saturday, Nov. 16.

When deputies responded to the report around 1:30 p.m. local time, they learned that the skydiver’s parachute hadn’t deployed.

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About two hours later, the sheriff’s office posted an update stating that the man had been found deceased “a couple of miles from the intended landing location.”  They added that an investigation into the matter has been launched.

In addition to the Caddo Parrish Sheriff’s Office, the search for the man included the involvement of Life Air Rescue, North Caddo Medical Center, the Wildlife and Fisheries Department, and the Caddo Fire District, according to the news release.

In an email to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Nov. 19, a spokesperson for the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office said that the victim has not been identified, adding that authorities do not believe there was any criminal activity surrounding the incident.

“The FAA is currently investigating to see what went wrong during the flight,” the spokesperson wrote.

According toCBS News, citing stats from theU.S, Parachute Association, out of 3.65 million skydiving jumps in the U.S. in 2023, only 10 resulted in death, which marked a 50% decrease from the previous year.

source: people.com