sky diver killed in jump
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This is not new. You have asked for verification of a story already in your list, but I don't want to register to respond to your request - This did not happen in the 80's as you have printed it was 1997
http://www.lvrj.com/lvrj_home/1997/Aug-02-Sat-1997/news/5821749.html
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Saturday, August 02, 1997
Authorities identify sky diver killed in jump
The veteran sky diver who fell to his death near Jean Thursday when both his main and emergency parachutes failed to open properly was identified as Crayton Murray, 44, of Las Vegas.
Murray, who had completed 780 jumps, died while videotaping a first-timer who was skydiving in tandem with a professional from the Las Vegas Skydiving Center.
Tom Cannarozzo, the center's owner, said Murray was considered an expert sky diver. He added that accidents usually seem to happen to more seasoned sky divers.
"After you make so many jumps, you begin to think this kind of stuff doesn't happen to you," he said. Beginners, in contrast, have a professional "constantly going over their emergency procedures."
As is customary after parachuting accidents, the Federal Aviation Association Friday afternoon investigated the scene of Murray's fall.
Cannarozzo said Murray died when his first parachute failed to deploy properly. Then his second chute got tangled in the first. Murray might have lived, Cannarozzo added, if he had "cut away" or released the first parachute entirely.
"I think that would have saved his life," he said.
The Las Vegas Sky Diving Center charges $159 for a first-time jumper, with another $75 for still photos and a videotape of the jump. Cannarozzo said it oversees 5,000 jumps per year.
Murray had worked as a free-lance photographer for the center for about two years, Cannarozzo said. He was on his third jump of the day when the accident happened.
Cannarozzo added that the tandem jumpers had no chance of saving Murray because they deployed their parachutes before he did.
"After they deploy, he would fall for another five to 10 seconds so he could get to the ground first and film the landing," Cannarozzo said.
Submitted on 09/21/2002
Submitted by:
Anonymous
Reference:
Las Vegas Review-Journal 8/2/9
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