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A 55-year-old woman from Minnesota died Friday, following a parachuting incident in Eloy, Arizona, according to police.
Officers with the Eloy Police Department were dispatched to Skydive Arizona on Taylor Street at about 4 p.m. on Friday, after receiving reports of a parachutist who experienced complications during the descent.
Also responding to the scene were members of the Eloy Fire District, and when they arrived, medical personnel located the individual, later identified by police as 55-year-old Ann Wick.
Emergency crews immediately initiated life-saving measures, though Wick was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.
Nearly a year ago, a 73-year-old experienced skydiver died in Arizona after his parachute failed to fully deploy during a jump.
The incident also happened at Skydive Arizona in Eloy, Arizona.
The man who died, Terry Gardner, and three other skydivers were making their third jump of the day when the malfunction happened.
In an unrelated fatal incident that happened about a month before, a hot air balloon carrying eight skydivers crashed, killing the pilot and three passengers, while critically injuring another passenger. The hot air balloon was not operated by Skydive Arizona, though it crashed in Eloy. Just before the crash, all eight skydivers reportedly exited the hot air balloon.
A hot air balloon carrying eight skydivers crashed, killing the pilot and three passengers, while critically injuring another passenger in Eloy, Arizona. (Credit: FOX 10 Phoenix)
Despite the skydiving-related fatalities, Skydive Arizona notes on its website that the sport of skydiving achieved the lowest fatality rate in recorded history in 2024.
“According to the USPA, there were just 9 fatalities in the United States – a testament to a sport that has embraced not only the thrill of freefall but also the power of a community-driven approach to safety,” the company noted on its website. “To put this in perspective, over 3.65 million jumps were made across the country in 2023 – the last recorded year.”
The company said in its press release that it remains committed to upholding the highest safety standards.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.