Yesterday afternoon, April 29th, an 83 year old Vestfold man died in a tragic parachute accident at the Jarlsberg Airport outside of Tønsberg.
A rescue helicopter was dispatched to the scene but the victim had already begun land transport to the hospital; where soon after he was found dead.
Jan Erik Wang, CEO Norwegian Air Sports Association gave statement to the Norwegian News Agency, saying; “The man is an experienced jumper who’s parachute seems to have failed, allowing him to hit the ground hard. We know what’s happened, but not the reason why it’s happened.”
The parachutist was a member of Tønsberg Parachute Club. The club posted its grief upon a Facebook page, stating; “It’s very sad that we’ve received call that the accident at Jarlsberg earlier today had the worst possible outcome. We’ve lost a dear and long-term member of the club and he’ll be truly missed.Our deepest thoughts go out to his spouse and family. ”
The accident was first reported at 14.42, and air traffic to the small airport was halted to allow investigation. The Tønsberg Parachute Club plans to hold a memorial for the fallen member.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today
