I have a good friend who loves to skydive. He hikes it up to Marana every chance he gets and books a jump.

He's working toward a goal and hopes to one day have enough experience to become an instructor and help others enjoy the thrill he seeks every time he parachutes from an aircraft. I try to support my friend's joy, but the danger is never far from my mind.

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Skydiving Incidents in Arizona

That brings me to a topic that's a bit heavy—two deadly skydiving accidents that occurred just over a week apart in Arizona this year.

READ: Dangerous Rise of Kids in Arizona Accidentally Consuming THC

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This year has already seen two tragic skydiving-related deaths. One of the victims was a 46-year-old man from Gilbert. He was an experienced skydiver and had more than 200 jumps under his belt. Sadly, his parachute failed to deploy during a jump in Eloy, which led to a fatal landing.

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In a separate incident that happened only eight days earlier, a 55-year-old woman from Minnesota lost her life while skydiving in the same area. Witnesses reported that her parachute deployed but was spinning uncontrollably, which led to her tragic fall.

READ: This Arizona Town Now on List of Most Dangerous in America

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The Danger of Arizona Skydiving

Despite these two tragedies in Arizona in a little over one week, skydiving in Arizona is relatively safe.

Last year was a remarkable period for skydiving safety, with Arizona having the lowest fatality rate ever recorded. Nationwide, there were just nine fatalities, which translates to about 0.27 deaths per 100,000 jumps.

Arizona is a significant hub for skydivers, and there are more jumps than any place in the nation. Even still, there were only five skydiving-related deaths last year, even in well-known drop zones like Eloy.

While this year has already started with two tragedies over a short period, skydiving has always carried inherent risks. It's difficult to know if these two tragedies are a trend or a coincidence, considering they happened so close together.

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They've cast a spotlight on safety concerns since both accidents involved experienced jumpers, making the incidents even more shocking. It raises questions about safety protocols and equipment reliability. The hope is these are two, unrelated occurrences, and not an indicator of a bigger problem.

My friend says that he never feels more alive than when he's skydiving, and I hope he can make many more safe jumps.

Sources: azcentral.com | usatoday.com | azcentral.com

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