9-Unknown man
In July of 2015, a 33-year-old man, with over 50 skydives under his belt,
was attempting to perform a trick landing. He was driven away from the drop zone by the strong winds
and began descending toward a nearby farm. He attempted to make a 180-degree turn but discovered
he was close to crashing against power lines. The unknown man was merely 50 feet above the ground.
This is as high as the Hollywood sign, so he didn’t have enough time to take
further action. The pilot fell heavily on the farm’s land, while performing a steep diving turn.
Though people watching the swooping tried to offer first aid, the man had been killed instantly by
the force of the impact. Investigators discovered that the man was wearing a helmet with a dark
visor, which might have made it harder for him to notice the power lines until it was too late.
8-Unnamed woman
While making a jump, at Skydive City in Florida, a young woman performed a swooping trick, attempting
to land with a flare. Her try was recorded and witnesses watched in horror as she miscalculated
her maneuvers and ended up crashing into a pond. The video showed the woman initially bouncing
before sinking heavily. Her fellow jumpers helped her out of the water and she was airlifted to the
closest hospital. She was stabilized by the doctors and survived the horrible ordeal,
though the potential long-term consequences of her wounds were not reported to the press.
What is it?
Swooping, more popularly known as canopy piloting, is an extreme sport involving gliding through the
air carrying a parachute, similar to the one used for skydiving. It’s considered spectator friendly,
as the landing itself becomes a show. The parachutes include hand-held pulleys that
can be used to perform tricks while approaching the ground. Some variations include swooping over
bodies of water, for several feet, before actually landing. Performances include mid-air turns, at
anywhere between 45 and 270 degree angles, landing on predefined areas, and gliding over large
distances before coming to a stop. The highest average speed obtained was 77 mph. To put this
figure into perspective, cheetahs, the fastest land animals on Earth, can sprint up to 75 mph.
7-Unnamed skydiving instructor
With ample skydiving experience and boasting over 2,000 jumps, an unnamed 25-year-old man
attempted a high-performance landing, also known as swooping. In August 2016, he was working as
an Accelerated Free Fall Instructor and prepared for a new jump. He managed to open his parachute
successfully, at 3,500 feet off the ground, and waited till he reached the 900-foot mark before
attempting a 360-degree turn. Unfortunately, the left riser, one of the lines connecting the canopy
to the harness, disconnected before he reached the ground. This prompted the parachute to collapse.
Though the jumper released the main canopy, he was already only 200 feet above the landing area.
This left him without enough time to use the reserve. He received medical attention
but was ultimately declared dead on site. Investigators determined there had been no
foul play in the young man’s death. In their report, they explained that
this accident could have been avoided by performing standard pre-jump safety checks.
Where is it located?
Though canopy piloting is a relatively new sport, tournaments are held all around the globe. The FAI
( Fédération Aéronautique Internationale), located in Switzerland, supervises most international
competitions. World championships are usually held once every two years. South Africa and
Australia have become popular destinations for practicing this sport. During tournaments,
pilots are usually required to swoop towards an area delimited by wind blades and slide over a
shallow, narrow artificial pond. Three factors that are taken into account by judges are speed,
distance, and accuracy. Though water-landing is the most common style, pilots can also practice
alternatives, such as ground-landing. In this variation, the objective is to hover for as
many feet as possible, just above the ground. This is usually practiced around mountainsides.
6-63-year-old man
A 63-year-old jumper had been successfully free falling before initiating his swooping maneuvers.
Witnesses noticed his landing pattern was too high, which made the elderly man glide away from
the landing area. He tried to aim towards the grass but, as he was facing away from the wind,
he kept being pushed towards a paved road. He attempted to make a sharp 360-degree turn
but struck the ground while still rotating. The man suffered several
broken bones and severe head trauma. He was rushed to the hospital and, initially,
managed to survive by being placed on life support. Several days later,
though, his condition worsened and the unnamed man died from his wounds.
5-Mariann Kramer
Mariann Kramer, a professional canopy pilot, was participating in a swooping competition,
back in 2006. When her main parachute failed, she attempted to activate the reserve. Unfortunately,
it was wet, too small and didn’t manage to slow her fall. Kramer crashed against the ground on
what was the first day of the skydiving festival. Though her wounds were severe, she managed to
survive, at first, remaining conscious while she was rushed to the hospital. Kramer would
end up dying in the ER soon after. The competition continued the very next day, in honor of Kramer’s
love for skydiving. She had been the first woman to participate in the Swooping Tour. She
was considered an expert jumper, having performed swooping dozens of times before her deadly fall.
How will it kill you?
Swooping is considered an extreme sport, as pilots glide at great speeds just over ponds or hard
ground. When landing on water, the risks of severe injuries aren’t diminished. At high velocities,
the human body will impact its surface as if it were solid, decelerating instantly.
Bad landings can have catastrophic consequences. Broken limbs, torn ligaments, and head injuries
are frequent, leading to long periods of hospitalization. Usually, these injuries can only
be treated through surgery, and require intense rehabilitation before the pilot returns to normal.
In more extreme cases, accidents may lead to lifelong paralysis, organ failure, and even death.
Sudden changes in weather conditions and wind may keep a pilot from landing on a safe spot,
and instead cause them to fall too hard or fast against a rough surface.
When people jump in groups, a big risk is crashing into another pilot.
This often occurs when someone tries to accelerate too fast or hesitates and slows down suddenly.
4-Ontario man
A 39-year-old man from Ontario was swooping, like he’d done hundreds of times before,
at one of the area’s drop zones. He was known for pushing the limits and trying new experiences
at the Parachute School of Toronto. While performing a trick landing, he lost control
of the canopy and plummeted to his death. No exact cause of death was released, though it was related
to the fatal wounds he’d suffered during the hard landing. Police refused to release the man’s name
but assured the press that there was no evidence of criminal negligence. However, two other fatal
jumps had occurred in the area, during that same year, and both were connected to the school.
3-Unnamed 28-year-old man
Just 50 feet over the ground, a skydiver performing canopy piloting
encountered sudden turbulence, due to bad weather conditions. He collided against another jumper,
failing to notice his proximity while initiating a sudden turn. The man’s canopy collapsed and he
was unable to deploy the reserve parachute in time. Though the second pilot managed to land
without incident, the first jumper took a hard fall. Witnesses promptly provided first aid,
but there was nothing to be done to save the man’s life. He died before the ambulance arrived.
How to survive?
When landing, it’s key for pilots to avoid using their hands and legs to protect themselves as
they fall, since the canopy reacts to even the subtlest movements. For gentler landings, pilots
must transfer their weight, moving gradually towards the ground. Weather conditions must be
examined before jumping. Temperature, wind speeds, and other factors can greatly alter the landing.
Surprisingly, even humidity can make swooping harder. Air becomes thinner the more humid the
day, changing its density and making the leap even steeper. In order to make sure parachutes
are in working order, skydivers are required to make three separate checks before jumping.
To become a high-performance swooping pilot, it’s a requirement to perform more than 1,000 jumps,
in addition to spending one or two years completing training courses.
Having proper instructors and mentors, committed to teaching the proper techniques,
can ultimately make the difference between life and death.
2-James Smith
James Smith was just 34 years old when he suffered a horrific accident while swooping. Though his
name wasn’t reported at first, the press soon discovered the identity of the fatal skydiving
victim. Smith was an experienced skydiver and an instructor, so he felt confident about attempting
a highly complex landing maneuver. His parachute opened normally when he first activated it,
but everything went wrong when he was about to make a sharp turn, just before landing.
The pilot had been descending at over 31 miles per hour,
and witnesses were taken aback as they noticed he was too low to complete the maneuver. He crashed
against the ground and died upon impact. An investigation was launched into the matter.
His friends started a donation campaign to help support his grieving widow and two young children.
1-David Richardson
While attempting a swoop landing in Gardiner, New York, David Richardson became the second fatality
associated with The Ranch facility in less than a week. He failed to land properly and hit the
ground at full speed. The 41-year-old pilot was airlifted to Westchester Medical Center.
Doctors attempted to save Richardson’s life but his wounds were too severe. He succumbed to his
wounds soon after. Richardson had successfully jumped over 3,000 times before with no major
accidents. A week prior to his death, a man in his 40s perished after landing without a parachute.
He was later identified as William McCartin. Police couldn’t locate the missing canopy and,
according to the latest reports, there are no clues as to what had caused McCartin’s fall.
Thanks for watching! Would you rather attempt swooping or lion taming?
Let us know in the comments section below!