Detectives are investigating after a skydiver was found dead in the front yard of a residence near an airpark in Florida, authorities said Saturday.

A man outfitted in parachute attire and gear was located just before 12:30 p.m. on the lawn of a home in Titusville, about 50 miles east of Orlando, police said in a statement. The Titusville Fire Department responded and said the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police on Monday identified the victim as 69-year-old Frederick C. Morello, of Ormond Beach, CBS affiliate WKMG reported.

  • 4am@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    The video shows a reflection in the back window of the SUV showing his chute was open when he came down, but he was moving fast and didn’t appear to be flaring (which further slows descent to a manageable landing speed). He might have become incapacitated in the air, or still impacted hard enough to kill him, but it wasn’t a “no chute full speed” type of situation, it seems

    • CorruptBuddha@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 year ago

      In the reflection it looks like he was turning super low. That’s pretty dangerous since your body will swing out horizontal during the turn, and then you can slam into the ground as you swing back.

      He shouldn’t have been that close to homes in the first place though, I assume they must have really fucked up, and he didn’t have a safe spot to land.

      • QuinceDaPence@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        He shouldn’t have been that close to homes in the first place though

        It’s an airpark. It’s like an HOA for pilots where the ammenities are taxiways from your house to the runway. Some will even have the hangar in their back yard where it can go straight onto the runway.

        You can get a better idea searching airpark on google images.

    • vivadanang@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      that’s a negatory on the dirt dart, say again, we did not have a dirt dart. more like an aarpsplat.

      • Chetzemoka@startrek.website
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        1 year ago

        Most 70 year olds don’t have paper thin skin. 70 is not as old as you think. (90 year olds, on the other hand…)

        Source: am nurse. Pull tape off a lotta old people.

      • Thetimefarm@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        There’s still a lot of muscle and connective membrane holding your organs inside with or without skin.