Videographer dies in parachute jump filming for skydive company

A videographer lost his life while filming for a skydiving company when his parachute failed to open. Sam Cornell, aged 46, was a videographer working for British company Sky-High Skydiving. The fatal accident occurred on April 28 in County Durham, U.K., during a skydiving session near Shotton Airfield.

Cornell’s parachute failed to open during the dive, leading to a tragic fall. He landed on a factory roof in Shotton, sustaining critical injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Originally from Godshill on the Isle of Wight, Cornell’s death is being investigated by Durham Police, who have termed it “unexpected.”

Sky-High Skydiving expressed deep sorrow over Cornell’s loss, highlighting him as a cherished friend and colleague. The company assured that an investigation, in collaboration with the British Skydiving Board and Durham Police, will ensue.

“We are all deeply saddened by the loss of a close friend, colleague and talented member of our team, our skydiving family. So please bear with us during this difficult time,” said Sky-High Skydiving in a statement.

According to BBC News, the British Skydiving Board confirmed that they are aware of the incident and pledged to submit a detailed report to relevant authorities, including any recommendations to avoid future similar incidents.

Durham Police are seeking information from witnesses, particularly drivers on the nearby A19 road around the time of the incident, urging anyone with dashcam footage or details to come forward.

Of course, extreme sports such as sky diving do involve risks. However, the accident rate is generally extremely low compared with road traffic accidents. Adding a camera to the mix can increase the dangers, occasionally the camera hardware mounted on helmets can get tangled with the parachute.

[via petapixel]

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