Pro skydiver may have misjudged landing before deadly crash in pond, Wisconsin cops say

A 36-year-old professional skydiver practicing for the upcoming national championships died after crashing into a pond, according to a Wisconsin sheriff’s office.

The Racine County Sheriff’s Office said the skydiver was conducting test runs for the National Skydiving Championships, which begin Sept. 2 in Wisconsin and Illinois.

He did not show signs of distress during his Sunday, Aug. 28, test run and his parachute properly deployed, but fellow skydivers said he misjudged his angle of descent. That caused him to have a “hard landing” into the pond adjacent to the Skydive Midwest property in Yorkville, the sheriff’s office said.

The Tennessee skydiver, whose name was not publicly disclosed, was pulled out of the water and first responders attempted to resuscitate him, according to the sheriff. He was unable to be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.

His injuries were considered “traumatic,” sheriff’s officials said.

In June, two women were critically injured after crashing while tandem skydiving at the same center, the Racine County Sheriff’s Office said.

Sunday’s incident was one of two fatal crashes at Skydive Midwest properties during the weekend. On Saturday, Aug. 27, a skydiver died after crashing into a corn field near Skydive Chicago, according to the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois.

Skydive Midwest has not publicly commented on the weekend’s deaths.

“Most skydiving incidents occur with experienced skydivers who push the limits of the sport or allow themselves to become complacent in it,” the business says on its website.

There were 10 skydiving fatalities in 2021 in the United States and 11 in 2020, according to the United States Parachute Association.

This story was originally published August 29, 2022 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Pro skydiver may have misjudged landing before deadly crash in pond, Wisconsin cops say."