RAVENNA, Ohio, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- Authorities in Portage County, Ohio, say an experienced parachute instructor and a customer were killed on a tandem jump when their parachute failed to open.
Portage County Sheriff David Doak said instructor Daniel Mathie, 30, and his customer, Sierra Thomas, 22, died Saturday after their main parachute failed to fully open after jumping at 9,500 feet, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Sunday.
Doak said after the pair's main chute failed to fully deploy, they gained speed during their descent before hitting the ground near Nelson Township, Ohio.
The sheriff said Mathie never released his emergency parachute during the skydiving attempt. To release the emergency chute, Mathie would have had to jettison his main chute.
Autopsies on the two victims were scheduled to take place Monday, the newspaper said.
