08 September 2024, Baden-Württemberg, Villingen-Schwenningen: A parachutist hangs from a parachute. Photo: Silas Stein/dpa (Photo by Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
A Massachusetts man was badly injured after making a hard landing during a skydiving accident in Maine on Monday.
Manny Silva, 57, of Dartmouth, was injured when he fell hard following complications skydiving in Lebanon, Maine, just before noon Monday. He was taken to the hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries, the York County Sheriff's Department said. He was conscious, alert and talking when medical crews arrived.
Silva, who was diving with Skydive New England, was unable to flair, the maneuver used to slow prior to landing. After he stopped actively flying at 300-feet altitude he fell hard on the ground.
Monday was not Silva's first time skydiving. He has jumped 33 times before, the company said.
"According to witnesses, the skydiver's free fall and parachute deployment appeared normal, with no signs of equipment malfunction. Observers noted that the parachute performed as expected throughout the descent," said Skydive New England in a statement shared with News Center Maine.
"We are grateful to our highly trained staff, local emergency responders, and the wider community for their swift assistance and outpouring of support during this incident," the company added.
