Army skydiver dies after airshow accident

A member of the Army Golden Knights parachute team died Sunday after being injured during a performance at the Chicago Air and Water Show, authorities said.

Sgt. 1st Class Corey Hood, 32, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was hurt Saturday when he collided in midair with a member of the Navy Leap Frogs team during a group maneuver, CNN affiliate WLS reported.

After Hood’s emergency chute opened he struck a building on North Lake Shore Drive and fell to the ground, a spectator told WLS.

Hood, who had survived five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, died Sunday afternoon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Timothy Holland, the Navy skydiver Hood collided with, landed on North Avenue Beach and broke his leg, WLS said. He is expected to recover, said Allison Bettencourt, public affairs officer with the Army.

The Army and Navy skydiving teams were performing a maneuver called “bomb burst,” which called for 13 skydivers to hold hands in a circle for about 15 seconds, the Chicago Tribune reported

After the skydivers broke apart in different directions Hood and the Navy skydiver collided in the air, the Tribune said.

“We heard a noise in the sky, my girlfriend and I,” witness Daniel McSweeney told WLS. “We saw a reserve chute, didn’t know what that means at the time. It was really scary. He was coming in really low and appeared to be motionless.”

McSweeney said he thought that was part of the act. Cook hit the building and fell about 30 stories, McSweeney said.

The airshow continued Sunday but the skydiving teams canceled their performances.