Fort Liberty paratrooper misses drop zone, lands on roof of Fayetteville home

A Fort Liberty paratrooper was rescued by firefighters Tuesday morning after he drifted off course and landed on the roof of a house off Hoke Loop Road, according to the Fayetteville Fire Department.

The soldier, assigned to the 3 ^rd Special Forces Group, landed on the roof in the 5000 block of Yorkchester Drive about 9 a.m., Fire Capt. Stephen Shakeshaft said. The home is 3.6 miles as the crow flies from Fort Liberty's St. Mere Eglise Drop Zone.

“The neighbors were absolutely awesome. They were attempting to help him down with a small ladder,” Shakeshaft said.

But unable to reach the paratrooper, neighbors called 911 and the crew of Engine15 arrived within minutes with a taller ladder, according to a post on the Fire Department's Facebook page.

The soldier, whose name was not released, was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center and released the same day, Shakeshaft said.

According to Maj. Russell Gordon, director of Public Affairs for the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), the soldier landed on the home during routine airborne training.

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In its Facebook post, the Fire Department described the incident as, "Just one of the many unique challenges that come with serving the largest military (installation) in the world."

Public safety reporter Joseph Pierre can be reached at jpierre@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fort Liberty paratrooper misses drop zone, lands on roof of Fayetteville home