A Navy SEAL Team member died Sunday after his parachute failed to open during a demonstration over the Hudson River.

A Navy spokesman said the accident occurred shortly after noon Sunday near Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J. The Navy said the parachutist was rescued from the water by the Coast Guard and local fire department responders who were on standby; he was pronounced dead at a hospital at 1:10 p.m.
One witness, photographer Joe Shine, told NJ.com that the parachutist seemed to realize that the chute wouldn't open and cut himself loose so that he would land in the Hudson River.

The parachutist was a member of an elite Navy parachute team called the Leap Frogs. Navy and Coast Guard members were participating in the program.
He wasn't identified pending notification of his family.

The cause of the parachute malfunction is under investigation. NJ.com reported that the parachute landed in a Jersey City parking lot and was being examined by local police.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017...fleet-week-show.html

Fair winds sailor.

Wow! How in the hell? So sad.

Dammit.

RIP, sailor.

-Rob

RIP Sailor. Prayers for your family.

So Sad! RIP

Just heard. Awful news.

Damn. RIP.

dont they have back up chutes???

quote:

Originally posted by newmexican:
Damn. RIP.

dont they have back up chutes???

It was probably a low-opening combat drop. They offer you a reserve chute, but everyone knows if something goes wrong, you'll never get a chance to use it. Most guys just refuse it. He's not the first to go this way.

That's some kind of composure. Cutting away your dead parachute so you can actually over-shoot your landing target and hit a river, giving yourself the best chance of surviving.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Originally posted by newmexican:
Damn. RIP.

dont they have back up chutes???

It was probably a low-opening combat drop. They offer you a reserve chute, but everyone knows if something goes wrong, you'll never get a chance to use it. Most guys just refuse it. He's not the first to go this way.

That's some kind of composure. Cutting away your dead parachute so you can actually over-shoot your landing target and hit a river, giving yourself the best chance of surviving.

how low do they open on those HALO jumps?

RIP Sir. What a tragedy.

quote:

Originally posted by newmexican:

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:

quote:

Originally posted by newmexican:
Damn. RIP.

dont they have back up chutes???

It was probably a low-opening combat drop. They offer you a reserve chute, but everyone knows if something goes wrong, you'll never get a chance to use it. Most guys just refuse it. He's not the first to go this way.

That's some kind of composure. Cutting away your dead parachute so you can actually over-shoot your landing target and hit a river, giving yourself the best chance of surviving.

how low do they open on those HALO jumps?

Wouldn't know the lowest they go, but I've heard of an actual 500 ft combat drop (Rangers) into Panama.

Tragic.
RIP sailor.

quote:

how low do they open on those HALO jumps?

A friend of mine did HALO training some years ago and he told me that they open at 400 ft.

Question:

I read this last night, and then again this morning:

Video taken by ABC station WABC-TV showed part of the parachute coming down after the parachutist separated from his chute and landed in the water.

Both articles state that he "cut away" from his chute. Those of you who jump, what possible scenerio could you encounter where you would feel the need to sepeate yourself from your chute prior to landing?

Fair winds and following seas! RIP.
Rod

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
Question:

I read this last night, and then again this morning:

Video taken by ABC station WABC-TV showed part of the parachute coming down after the parachutist separated from his chute and landed in the water.

Both articles state that he "cut away" from his chute. Those of you who jump, what possible scenerio could you encounter where you would feel the need to sepeate yourself from your chute prior to landing?

The only reason to cut away would be a malfunctioning main. But that's a decision you'd make with enough altitude. Hard to understand with a jumper this experienced unless he thought he could correct it and ate up altitude struggling with it.

quote:

Originally posted by justjoe:

quote:

how low do they open on those HALO jumps?

A friend of mine did HALO training some years ago and he told me that they open at 400 ft.

Wow thats nuts.