A skydiver is dead after colliding in mid-air with another jumper at a Montana festival — becoming the fourth person killed at the thrill-seeking event in recent years.
The accident happened at the Lost Prairie Boogie skydiving festival near Marion on Monday morning, when two jumpers slammed into each other as they fell to Earth.
One of the skydivers was knocked unconscious immediately, according to the Flathead County Sheriff’s office.
The victim’s emergency parachute automatically deployed as they fell, but they still suffered fatal injuries during landing, the Daily Inter Lake reported.
First responders were on hand for the event, and while they rushed to treat the skydiver after the hard landing, the jumper was declared dead at the scene.
The victim’s identity has not been released.
The other skydiver was able to deploy their parachute and land safely after the collision, and was assessed and cleared by medical personnel at the festival grounds.
This year’s Lost Prairie Boogie — which draws hundreds of parachutists — was the 58th summer it has been held.
The event’s been hosted for the past 15 years by Meadow Peak Skydiving — with three other people dying at the event during that time, according to the Daily Inter Lake.
A Minnesota skydiver died in 2019 when their parachute malfunctioned, a Washington man died at the festival in 2011, and a Colorado man was killed when his parachute tangled up during his jump in 2010.
Meadow Peak said it is working with investigators probing the incident, and always adheres to the highest standards of skydiving safety and protocols.
“This is a devastating loss, and our deepest sympathies are with the [parachutist’s] family, friends and the entire sky diving community,” the company said after the accident. “Our hearts are broken.”
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