ROCHELLE, Ill. (WGN) — One person is dead and another is recovering after a midair collision between two skydivers sent one of them plummeting to the ground Wednesday afternoon in Ogle County.
According to the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, just before 7 p.m., deputies were called to the 8800 block of South Illinois Route 251 in Rochelle, following a report of a skydiving incident involving an uncontrolled descent in the area.
Authorities say a preliminary investigation indicates that two skydivers who jumped nearby collided midair during their descent.
Amid the crash, both skydivers’ canopies collapsed. Deputies say the reserve parachutes were deployed during the fall, but the crash led to an uncontrolled descent for one skydiver.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they found one of the skydivers, a 40-year-old man, in a nearby parking lot suffering from significant injuries. Crews transported him to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Crews then located a second skydiver at Rochelle Municipal Airport, also known as Koritz Field. The second skydiver, whose age and gender are unknown, suffered only minor injuries in the crash and was taken to the hospital.
Currently, it is unclear what led to the crash and deputies say they are investigating the incident in coordination with federal authorities.
