Skydiver Collision: Two Killed In Arizona After Mid-Air Crash

A skydiver collision left two thrill seekers dead after they crashed into each other in mid-air.

The accident happened during a jump in Eloy, Arizona, this week. Witnesses said the two skydivers collided in mid-air with their parachutes open. The crashed caused both parachute canopies to collapse and sent the two individuals falling approximately 200 to 300 feet to the ground.

One of the skydivers was pronounced dead at the scene while the other died after being taken to a nearby hospital.

A third skydiver was injured during the jump, but authorities said it was not related to the mid-air accident.

The accident took place at Skydive Arizona, a training facility located approximately 60 miles south of Phoenix. The company, which opened in 1978, averages more than 135,000 jumps per year, according to the Skydive Arizona website.

Last week Skydive Arizona conducted a 63-woman jump that set a world record for an all-female mass formation. All of the divers landed safely.

This week’s skydiver collision is not the first fatality this year among thrill seekers. In October an expert skydiver, Kenneth Ryan Bernek, was killed while performing a low-flying stunt.

Bernek jumped from approximately 5,000 feet, below the standard altitude of 14,000 feet, to attempt a dangerous maneuver known as swooping. The stunt involves a skydiver flying as close to the ground as possible at a high speed for a long distance before finally landing.

The accident also comes just days after a numbers of skydivers escaped alive from a crash in mid air. The group of skydivers in Wisconsin managed to survive after their planes collided in mid-air, with one of the aircraft bursting into flames.

Footage taken from one of the skydiver’s helmets showed the terrifying moments as divers from both planes jumped quickly to avoid burning debris.

Police have not released the identities of the two people killed in the skydiver collision in Arizona.