One of the military’s precision skydivers, injured during a hard landing during a performance at the Calgary Stampede on Sunday, is expected to make a full recovery.
A number of rodeo fans were shocked into silence when a member of the Canadian Forces Parachute Team, The SkyHawks, hit the ground extremely hard, prompting paramedics to rush to the scene.
The SkyHawks' performance, consisting of five skydivers, was part of the opening of Sunday’s rodeo events just before 2:00 p.m.
According to a SkyHawks official, the injured skydiver, a man in his mid-thirties, landed at the designated spot in the infield but he landed much harder than normal and was unable to return to his feet following the impact.
He was taken to Foothills Hospital in serious, life-threatening condition, but his condition has since improved.
The team says he suffered a severely broken leg, but is expected to make a full recovery.
Captain Victor Mover, leader of the SkyHawks, said that they train long and hard to be ready for their jumps. “It is a hazardous activity. What we do as a demonstration team is we really train and do thousands of jumps. Parachuting is about mitigating risk and so we train over and over again to be able to react properly in every circumstance.”
Other members of the team said they’re still very excited to be part of the Stampede and hope that their colleague recovers quickly so they can meet everyone over the week.
