TUSAYAN, Ariz. — A British man died in a skydiving accident near Grand Canyon National Park Sunday morning.
Coconino County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the area of the Grand Canyon National Park Airport in Arizona at approximately 9:55 a.m. on report of the skydiving accident, in which two men were injured.
The men had been skydiving in tandem when they were injured. One person appeared to have suffered a broken leg and was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center. The other person was unconscious, and CPR lifesaving efforts were being performed by paramedics on scene. He was later pronounced dead by doctors at the hospital.
The man who died is identified as 55-year-old Christopher Swales of the United Kingdom.
Swales had purchased a skydiving package from Paragon Skydive, a company at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport. The skydiving package included a tandem jump with a professional skydiver. The skydive was reportedly going as planned until they encountered difficulties when approaching the landing area. These difficulties caused the pair to free-fall for an unknown distance and hit the ground in what was described as a “hard landing,” according to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators are still looking into the details surrounding the accident. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified and also is investigating the incident.