A young man is recovering in a Calgary hospital following a skydiving accident over the weekend in Central Alberta.
Innisfail firefighters and EMS responded to the call around 4 p.m. Saturday when a 20-year-old skydiver fell during his landing in Innisfail.
Gary Leith, Innisfail fire chief and manager of Fire and Protective Services said the man was transported to Foothills Medical Centre with spinal injuries and possible fractures to pelvis. The skydiver, whose hometown is not known, was conscious and in stable condition when STARS was called to transport him.
He said the skydiver was still in his parachute when landing in the approved drop zone at the Big Bend Airport in Innisfail.
The fire crews believe the weather may have something to do with the hiccup in his landing.
“When wind increases there’s potential for landing poorly and that’s what happened as we understand it,” said Leith.
The 20-year-old man was skydiving with about half a dozen skydivers, the local fire chief said.
Skydive Big Sky Innisfail did not comment citing privacy concern of their client.
Leith said the department has been called to other similar incidents in the past, but the falls are not “typically common.”
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter