Texas Skydiving Instructor Dies After Backup Parachute Partially Opens

HOUSTON, TX – A skydive instructor was killed over the weekend after his parachute failed to open.

According to a Houston new outlet, on Feb. 20 at around 12 p.m., paramedics with the Houston EMS were dispatched to the 1600 block of Kitty Hawk Dr. for the report of a skydiving accident.

When they arrived, the medics found a man and a woman that had crashed into the ground. The man, the flight instructor, was taken to the hospital where he later died. The woman, who suffered non-life threatening injuries, was a student attempting one of her initial jumps.

Reports claim that the diver's first parachute failed and the backup parachute only opened half way.

Skydive Houston has suspended all operations until further notice.

The following is a statement released by Skydive Houston:

On Saturday, February 19th, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a tandem pair (tandem instructor and tandem student) experienced an incident during their skydive that resulted in severe injuries upon landing to both instructor and student. Both were air-lifted to an area trauma center where the tandem instructor later succumbed to his injuries. The female tandem student is reported to be suffering from serious, but non-life-threatening injuries at this time.

"Skydive Houston, along with the greater skydiving community at large, is deeply saddened by the loss of our tandem instructor and friend. Our sincerest condolences are extended to his friends and family. We continue to pray for a full recovery for the injured tandem student."