Page 16 - IAV Digital Magazine #508

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Woman Strikes Plane While Skydiving In Hudson Valley
On Monday around 3
p.m., Ulster County Fire/Rescue Incidents reported on its Facebook page a person was hit by aircraft while skydiving near Skydive The Ranch on Sand Hill Road in Gardiner.
Hudson Valley Post reached out to New York State Police out of Troop K and learned the sky- diver landed on a plane that was on the ground. The skydiver suffered what's described as a non-life- threatening leg injury.
"A skydiver land- ed on a plane on the ground and injured their leg. Nothing life- threatening," New York State Police Troop F Public Information Officer Steven V. Nevel told
Hudson Valley Post in an email.
Police later announced that 24-year-old Kristin Silva of Connecticut, a parachute stu- dent, collided with a Freefall Express aircraft when making her final approach to land on the run- way at Skydive the Ranch in the
town of Gardiner.
Silva landed on the left-wing of the aircraft, sub- sequently causing the lower left leg to collide with the propeller, police say. Her para- chute then became entan- gled in the pro- peller causing her to dangle from the wing. She was cut down by
witnesses. Silva was conscious and alert. She suffered a deep laceration to the lower left calf and a laceration to the chin. She was air- lifted to Westchester Medical Center with non-life- threatening injuries, accord- ing to New York State Police.
Hudson Valley Post also reached out to Skydive The Ranch for comment but was told no one would comment on the situation at this time. It remains unclear how the skydiver landed on the aircraft.
Two skydivers lost their lives this summer at Skydive The
Ranch.
On June
28, William McCartin, 40 of New York City boarded an air- plane at the Skydive
the Ranch
and fatally landed in the parking lot of the Gardiner Fire Department.
McCartin had a parachute on when he jumped from the plane but landed with- out one, police say.
Just a few days later, on July 5, 41-year-old David H.Richardson of Gardiner
was killed when he attempted to make what police describe as a "swoop
landing" and he landed at a high rate of speed at Skydive The Ranch.
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine