DELAND, Fla. — A skydiver was killed after his equipment failed him near the DeLand airport Wednesday night, police said.
Authorities said Santiago Rosell, 62, of Altamonte Springs died after his parachute failed to open while skydiving at Skyline DeLand off Flightline Drive at about 5 p.m. police said.
Police said Rosell, Earle Spence and Richard Ford were three-way skydiving and seperated during the jump. Spence and Ford told police that they believed they saw the orange reserve chute open and thought everything was fine.
However, police said when Rosell's main chute did not open, he cut it off and tried to use his backup chute, but was too close to the ground and was killed.
Rosell landed in an open area near the airport. The main chute landed in a wooded area.
A witness said emergency crews arrived at the scene within minutes of the accident, while Spence and Ford tried to save Rosell.
The Federal Aviation Administration was in DeLand Thursday to investigate.
The FAA said it will be inspecting the rigging of the parachute, which is something that can only be done by a trained, licensed professional.
WFTV
