Sedona AZ – On September 8, 2019, at about 9:55 in the morning hours, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the Grand Canyon National Park Airport area for a reported skydiving accident that had injured two males.

Upon arrival, deputies found two injured men who had been tandem skydiving. One man appeared to have suffered a broken leg and was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center, while CPR lifesaving efforts were being performed on scene by paramedics for an unconscious man.

The second victim was later pronounced deceased by doctors from Flagstaff Medical Center. The deceased was identified as Christopher Swales, a 55-year-old male from the United Kingdom.

Mr. Swales had purchased a skydiving package from Paragon Skydive, a company at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport. The skydiving package included a tandem jump with a Paragon Skydiver. The skydive reportedly had been going as planned, until the two men encountered difficulties when approaching the landing area. These difficulties caused the pair to free fall for an unknown distance, and hit the ground in what was described as a “hard landing.”

Investigators are still looking into the details surrounding the accident. Currently, there are no indications that the incident is criminal in nature.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been notified and also is investigating the incident.

Due to the ongoing investigation, no further details are available at this time.