Dutch Skydiver Dies, Body Discovered A Week Later

The body of a Dutch skydiver who died when his parachute didn’t open wasn’t discovered until a week after the accident, according to MSN.

Skydiver Mark van den Boogaard jumped out of a plane provided by Nationaal Paracentrum, which is cited as one of the biggest skydiving clubs in the Netherlands. Unfortunately for Mark, his parachute never opened. His body landed somewhere in a field, where it would remain for over a week.

The skydiver’s body was later discovered by a group of hunters. Since its clients never report back to the club once the jump is complete, Nationaal Paracentrum didn’t bother to search for Mark van den Boogaard.

“We never check, there is no law, no regulations,” a representative from the skydiving club explained to BBC News.

He added, “If you are forced to find out where everyone is, there can be a big drama for nothing. You can call all the emergency rescue teams and helicopters, then discover the person is sitting at home having tea with his granddad — that has happened before.”

The organization said previous attempts to follow-up with skydiving clients failed in the United States.

According to the Mirror, authorities have alerted the skydiver’s family about the skydiving accident. However, police said the man didn’t appear to be close to any of his relatives.

Nationaal Paracentrum’s manager described Mark van de Boogaard as “a friendly and happy man, but a loner, someone who did not really talk to anyone and was always on his own.”

An investigation into why the skydiver’s parachute didn’t open was launched by the Royal Netherlands Aeronautical Association. Dutch police later said no defects were found. Authorities also revealed that the investigation was closed and that no crime had been committed.

Do you think skydiving clubs should be required to check up on the people who pay for their services?