Three U.S. Army parachutists injured in training exercise

Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Three U.S. Army parachutists sustained injuries during a training exercise in Florida early Tuesday morning, military officials said.

The three soldiers were flown to a to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital where two were in critical condition and one was in serious condition, Kelli Brand, director of public affairs with U.S. Army Recruiting Command, told the Miami Herald.

All three were members of the North Carolina-based Golden Knights parachute demonstration team, which trains in Homestead, Fla., in the winter and were participating in "night operations" when the incident occurred.

Bland told CBS Miami that the soldiers were jumping from a fixed-wing aircraft that was at 3,500 feet.

She added it wasn't immediately known what caused the incident and it was too early to determine whether it was caused by an equipment malfunction.

Army spokesman Staff Sgt. Robert Dodge said the accident is under investigation.