Skydiver taken to hospital after hard landing when parachute fails to fully open in Franklin County jump

FRANKLINTON, N.C. (WNCN) — A man was injured and taken to a hospital after his parachute failed to fully open during a skydiving jump in Franklin County on Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The incident was reported around 4:20 p.m. at a small airport at 6966 N.C. 56 between Franklinton and Louisburg in Franklin County, according to Franklin County authorities.

The injuries happened when a man was skydiving and his parachute only opened about halfway — causing the skydiver to fall much faster and harder than with a typically fully opened parachute, a Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputy said.

The skydiver then hit the ground “hard” and was injured, officials said.

The skydiver was alert after the hard landing and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The owner of Skydive Raleigh, which operates out of the airport, said a student of their program was involved in the incident.

Mike Hollister of Skydive Raleigh said the student experienced some issues during the descent and despite emergency procedures did not have a “full canopy” before landing.

Hollister said the student had a “fairly hard impact” but reacted to help protect himself before hitting the ground.

Hollister said the skydiving student did not appear to have any serious injuries.

Saturday evening, Hollister released a statement from his business Skydive Raleigh:

I can share that the incident did not involve any Tandem passenger. All USPA safety standards, guidelines, and recommendations are strictly followed here.

Our number one priority above all else is the safety of our skydivers. Skydiving, as any extreme sport, comes with its own set of risks. The USPA, and its group members do everything we can to mitigate those risks.

Thanks to constantly improving equipment technology and training the number of incidents has decreased steadily over the years. We are a very tight-knit community. We are all hoping for the fast recovery of our friend.

Mike Hollister, owner of Skydive Raleigh

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