US Army skydiver dies from Chicago air show injuries | World Defense

US Army skydiver dies from Chicago air show injuries

Redheart

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US Army skydiver dies from Chicago air show injuries - Business Insider

A U.S. Army skydiver who had served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan died Sunday from injuries suffered in a midair collision with another jumper during a stunt at the Chicago Air & Water Show, authorities said.

Corey Hood of Cincinnati, Ohio, who had recently turned 32, was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said Mario Johnson, a Cook County medical examiner's investigator.

Hood had logged more than 200 free fall jumps and 75 military static line jumps during his career, according to his Army biography.

The Army Golden Knights and Navy Leap Frogs parachute teams were performing what is known as a "bomb burst" Saturday when the collision occurred, Golden Knights spokeswoman Donna Dixon said. During the stunt, parachutists fall with red smoke trailing from packs and then separate, creating a colorful visual in the sky.

Dixon said Hood collided with a member of the Navy's precision skydiving team.

Hood was knocked unconscious, "which resulted in an uncontrolled offsite landing," Dixon said in a statement.

Spectator Heather Mendenhall told the Chicago Tribune on Saturday that she was watching the show from a rooftop and saw Hood strike the roof of a high-rise building next door with his feet and then fall — his parachute trailing behind him.

"His legs caught the tip of the roof, and then he fell over. It was horrible," she told the newspaper.

The other parachutist, who has not been identified, landed on North Avenue Beach near the main viewing area for the show, Fire Department spokesman Juan Hernandez said Saturday. He was treated for a broken leg.

The accident is under investigation, the Army said. The team did not perform again on Sunday.

"The Knights are a very close knit team and the military skydiving community is equally close; we will support Corey's family and each other during this difficult time," Col. Matthew Weinrich, commander of the U.S. Army Parachute Team, said in a statement.

Hood served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and had earned numerous awards, including two Bronze Stars. He is survived by his wife, Lyndsay.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called Hood "an American hero," saying in a statement late Sunday, "He defended our freedom, he amazed so many as a member of the Golden Knights, and he will be missed."

Specialists such as the Army and Navy jumpers can reach speeds of up to 180 mph during freefall by pulling their arms to their sides. They typically open their parachutes at around 5,000 feet, joining their canopies together in formation and setting off smoke grenades to send red smoke trailing behind them.

The annual two-day air show draws millions of people to Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline. Headliners included the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
 

Diane Lane

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That's a shame. He survived a lot, and apparently was very well trained, but accidents do happen, especially when people engage in high risk activities. I think displays such as this can be very entertaining and beautiful to watch, but perhaps it's time to rethink some of the riskier moves, in favor of safety.
 

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US Army skydiver dies from Chicago air show injuries - Business Insider

A U.S. Army skydiver who had served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan died Sunday from injuries suffered in a midair collision with another jumper during a stunt at the Chicago Air & Water Show, authorities said.

Corey Hood of Cincinnati, Ohio, who had recently turned 32, was pronounced dead Sunday afternoon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said Mario Johnson, a Cook County medical examiner's investigator.

Hood had logged more than 200 free fall jumps and 75 military static line jumps during his career, according to his Army biography.

The Army Golden Knights and Navy Leap Frogs parachute teams were performing what is known as a "bomb burst" Saturday when the collision occurred, Golden Knights spokeswoman Donna Dixon said. During the stunt, parachutists fall with red smoke trailing from packs and then separate, creating a colorful visual in the sky.

Dixon said Hood collided with a member of the Navy's precision skydiving team.

Hood was knocked unconscious, "which resulted in an uncontrolled offsite landing," Dixon said in a statement.

Spectator Heather Mendenhall told the Chicago Tribune on Saturday that she was watching the show from a rooftop and saw Hood strike the roof of a high-rise building next door with his feet and then fall — his parachute trailing behind him.

"His legs caught the tip of the roof, and then he fell over. It was horrible," she told the newspaper.

The other parachutist, who has not been identified, landed on North Avenue Beach near the main viewing area for the show, Fire Department spokesman Juan Hernandez said Saturday. He was treated for a broken leg.

The accident is under investigation, the Army said. The team did not perform again on Sunday.

"The Knights are a very close knit team and the military skydiving community is equally close; we will support Corey's family and each other during this difficult time," Col. Matthew Weinrich, commander of the U.S. Army Parachute Team, said in a statement.

Hood served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and had earned numerous awards, including two Bronze Stars. He is survived by his wife, Lyndsay.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called Hood "an American hero," saying in a statement late Sunday, "He defended our freedom, he amazed so many as a member of the Golden Knights, and he will be missed."

Specialists such as the Army and Navy jumpers can reach speeds of up to 180 mph during freefall by pulling their arms to their sides. They typically open their parachutes at around 5,000 feet, joining their canopies together in formation and setting off smoke grenades to send red smoke trailing behind them.

The annual two-day air show draws millions of people to Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline. Headliners included the U.S. Navy Blue Angels.
I saw that. It is always sad when things like that happen. I know from time to time, members of the blue angels also die during the course of putting on air shows and the like. I am always sad when something like that happens. I mean maybe risky stunts like that should not be done purely for entertainment purposes. It puts too many good people in harm's way.
 

Redheart

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I saw that. It is always sad when things like that happen. I know from time to time, members of the blue angels also die during the course of putting on air shows and the like. I am always sad when something like that happens. I mean maybe risky stunts like that should not be done purely for entertainment purposes. It puts too many good people in harm's way.
And how do they honor a fallen comrade? More parachuting . . .

Skydivers parachute into funeral of Army skydiver | Fox News

A solo Army Golden Knight parachutist honored a comrade's dream by landing on the high school football field where hundreds of mourners gathered for his funeral Saturday, a week after he was involved in a deadly accident at a Chicago air show.

The military skydiver, joined by a team of professionals, fulfilled the wish of U.S. Army Master Sgt. Corey Hood, who had long wanted to parachute on to the field where he played as a youth, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

"He was highly competitive and didn't want to lose at anything," Larry Cox, his high school football coach, told the hundreds of mourners who gathered in the stands at Lakota West High School. "I think it correlated with why he became such a great soldier."

Hood, 32, died Aug. 16, a day after colliding with another parachutist before during a jump at the Chicago Air and Water Show.

Before joining the Golden Knights, the army's elite parachute performance team, Hood served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Highly decorated, he was awarded two Bronze Stars for heroism.

"Corey would run toward gunfire, not away from it," childhood friend Adam Price told mourners.

Hood rose quickly through the ranks and made sergeant first class at a young age. The Army on Monday posthumously promoted him to master sergeant.

Hood was buried during a private ceremony after the funeral.
 

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What is happening? Just today, I had replied to 2 threads about an airshow accident - one in Brighton, England and the other in Switzerland. Now, this third one is in Chicago although this is a skydiving incident and not a plane crash like the first two. But anyway, that question again why the need for an airshow. Do we need to risk more lives for that?
 

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It is peak air show season so even random events at airshows will tend to cluster in these few weeks. There are all dangerous activities but as far as the participants go, it is their choice to take part. Most of them accept the risk. It is sad but at least these are people doing something they were passionate about.
 

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That's a shame. He survived a lot, and apparently was very well trained, but accidents do happen, especially when people engage in high risk activities. I think displays such as this can be very entertaining and beautiful to watch, but perhaps it's time to rethink some of the riskier moves, in favor of safety.
Unfortunately, the risk is what attracts most of the people. I'm with you, I don't need to watch someone risk their life in order to be entertained. I actually prefer knowing full well that absolutely no one will get hurt or die when I'm watching any kind of performance. But, what can we do?
 

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Unfortunately, the risk is what attracts most of the people. I'm with you, I don't need to watch someone risk their life in order to be entertained. I actually prefer knowing full well that absolutely no one will get hurt or die when I'm watching any kind of performance. But, what can we do?

It seems that this type of performance keeps increasing in risk, as people expect greater and greater thrills. I've never been a thrill seeker, or at least not since I was a teenager, and I agree with you, I'm happier when I know people are actually safe. I prefer they have safety nets/harnesses, but apparently that's not possible with this type of performance.
 

LilAnn

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It seems that this type of performance keeps increasing in risk, as people expect greater and greater thrills. I've never been a thrill seeker, or at least not since I was a teenager, and I agree with you, I'm happier when I know people are actually safe. I prefer they have safety nets/harnesses, but apparently that's not possible with this type of performance.
I'm the exact same! As a teenager I can't tell you how many times I sat in a car going over 100 mph. Now I get nervous if the speedometer reaches 40 mph. I would, seriously, have to be suicidal before I could bungie jump or sky dive. So many things can, and have, gone wrong. And I'm just not ready to go out like that.
 
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