Tragedy struck over Orange, Massachusetts, as a skydiver lost his life following a midair collision with another jumper, as reported by local news outlets.
Robert Szabo, 62, from Connecticut, succumbed three days after a jump from a Jumptown Skydiving aircraft, based on statements from Orange Fire Chief James Young and reports from WBZ-TV.
On October 4, during the jump, Szabo collided with another skydiver, who fortunately was not injured. Szabo managed to deploy his parachute but sustained fatal injuries, according to the account.
According to a statement from Jumptown, “The injured jumper landed on airport property using a fully operational parachute.”
Szabo was promptly transported to a hospital in Worcester, where, following a highly concerning MRI, he was removed from a ventilator on Tuesday.
The precise cause of death is pending determination by the Medical Examiner, and the Northwestern District Attorney’s office continues to investigate the incident.
Szabo was affiliated with the Connecticut Parachutists, a skydiving club located in Ellington, CT, as mentioned in the report.
Connecticut Parachutists expressed their sorrow, stating, “Whether he welcomed you with a smile or his trademark eye roll, it was always the warmest.”
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“We will forever cherish his kindness, patience, and the generosity he showed with his skills and time.”
He was not only a passionate skydiver but also a competitor who had earned several accolades, as detailed on the organization’s website.
This incident marks the second skydiving-related death at Jumptown in less than ten years, with the previous fatality involving 27-year-old Alexis Zayas, who tragically collided with a barn back in 2018, according to The Greenfield Recorder.
In a separate incident in 2022, a jumper at Jumptown sustained severe injuries after a parachute malfunction resulted in a hard landing on a building’s roof, as reported by WBZ-TV.
