‘Very experienced’ skydiver is third to die at Arizona facility in weeks, cops say
A third person has died at a skydiving facility in Arizona in a matter of weeks, deputies said.
The latest incident involves a 47-year-old man who died at about 2 p.m. Feb. 16 near Skydive Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 25 email to McClatchy News.
Deputies said they responded to the center in Eloy after getting a report of an injured skydiver.
The “very experienced” skydiver was found near the facility, deputies said.
Witnesses had watched him deploy his parachute during a “normal” free fall, Skydive Arizona said in a news release.
His equipment was working, however, he was seen initiating an “advanced landing maneuver at a low altitude, which did not allow sufficient time to level,” the facility said in the release.
He died from injuries when he landed, the facility said.
The skydiver’s identity will not be released until next of kin has been notified.
“The deceased was a respected member of the skydiving community, known for his extensive experience in the sport,” the facility said.
He completed over 25,000 jumps before his death, according to facility officials.
Two other skydiving deaths
On Feb. 1, a skydiver died at Skydive Arizona, McClatchy News reported.
Shawn Bowen of Gilbert died when his parachute did not deploy during a free fall, the Eloy Police Department said in a Facebook post.
The 46-year-old had been wearing a “wingsuit-type apparatus,” police said.
On Jan. 24, Ann Wick, a 55-year-old from Minnesota, died at the facility when she had “complications” during her descent, police said.
“The exact cause of the accident remains under investigations,” police said.
She had jumped 267 times before her death.
Eloy is about a 65-mile drive southeast from Phoenix.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 1:26 PM with the headline "‘Very experienced’ skydiver is third to die at Arizona facility in weeks, cops say."
