US Navy SEAL skydiver plunges to his death into the Hudson River after his parachute fails to open during Fleet Week aerial exhibition in New York Harbor
- US Navy SEAL skydiver died Sunday when his parachute failed to open
- SEAL was participating in an aerial exhibition over New York Harbor
- Parachutist’s body was pulled from Morris Canal near mouth of Hudson River
- He was pronounced dead at Jersey City Medical CenterÂ
A member of the US Navy’s elite skydiving demonstration team plunged to his death on Sunday when his parachute failed to open while performing in an aerial exhibition as part of New York Harbor’s annual Fleet Week festival.
The parachutist was pulled from the waters of Morris Canal near the mouth of the Hudson River moments after the accident, witnessed by thousands of spectators watching the show from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Amateur video recorded by Aaron Moss showed a piece of the parachute coming down after the parachutist separated from his chute and landed in the water.
The skydiver, a member of the Navy SEALs commando unit that operates under the Naval Special Warfare Command, was pronounced dead at the Jersey City Medical Center, Rear Admiral Jack Scorby told a news conference outside the hospital.
The Navy man’s identity was being publicly withheld pending notification of his family.
US Coast Guard crews work on a parachutist in the waters of the Morris Canal after the skydiver’s chute failed to open during an aerial exhibition as port of New York Harbor’s Fleet Week festival in New York City
A member of the US Navy’s elite skydiving demonstration team plunged to his death on Sunday when his parachute (a piece of which is seen above in amateur video) failed to open while performing in an aerial exhibition as part of New York Harbor’s annual Fleet Week festival
Amateur video recorded by Aaron Moss showed a piece of the parachute coming down after the parachutist separated from his chute and landed in the water
The parachutist was pulled from the waters of Morris Canal near the mouth of the Hudson River moments after the accident, witnessed by thousands of spectators watching the show from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey
The skydiver, a member of the Navy SEALs commando unit that operates under the Naval Special Warfare Command, was pronounced dead at the Jersey City Medical Center
The image taken above from street-level shows the remnants of the Navy SEAL’s parachute after it landed in a parking lot of a residential area in Jersey City
The Navy gave few details about the cause of the accident except to say that the skydiver’s ‘parachute did not open’
Scorby gave few details about the cause of the accident except to say that the skydiver’s ‘parachute did not open.’
Sunday’s festivities, part of a weeklong showcase that brings dozens of US warships and thousands of service members to the New York City area every year, included demonstrations by the US Navy Parachute Team, known as the Leap Frogs.