This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
At 11:15 a.m. this morning, deputies and rescue personnel from the Hygiene Fire Department and AMR Ambulance responded to the report of a parachutist down in the 10,000 block of Airport Road, which is just east of Vance Brand Airport. When rescuers arrived, they located a 29-year-old Illinois man on the ground. The man's parachute was still attached but had become tangled in the overhead power lines.
The man had been skydiving with several others from Mile High Skydiving at the Vance Brand Airport when he went off course and became tangled in the power lines at a nearby farm. According to Longmont Power & Communications, the power line contained 7,200 volts but blew a fuse when the parachute came into contact with the lines. Several nearby residents were without power for a brief time. Power was restored a short time later after the parachute was removed.
The injured man, who was conscious and breathing when rescuers arrived, was transported to Longmont United Hospital with a probable back injury. The man is an experienced skydiver and is licensed to jump alone.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were notified of the accident, and the FAA is handling the post-incident investigation.
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