A tragic incident occurred over Orange, Massachusetts, when two skydivers collided mid-air, resulting in one fatality. Robert Szabo, a 62-year-old Connecticut resident, succumbed to his injuries three days after the accident, which took place during a jump from a Jumptown Skydiving plane. Orange Fire Chief James Young confirmed the incident.
On October 4, Szabo collided with another skydiver during the jump. The other skydiver was unscathed, while Szabo, despite landing with a functioning parachute, suffered fatal injuries. Following the accident, Szabo was rushed to a hospital in Worcester, where he was taken off a ventilator after a discouraging MRI result.
The exact cause of Szabo’s death is yet to be determined by the Medical Examiner. Meanwhile, the Northwestern District Attorney’s office is conducting an investigation into the incident.
Szabo was not just a skydiving enthusiast but a staff member at Connecticut Parachutists, a skydiving club based in Ellington, Connecticut. His colleagues remember him fondly. “Whether he greeted you with a smile or his signature eye roll, it was the warmest one around,” the club said in a statement. “We will always remember his kindness, patience, and generosity with his time and skill.”
Szabo was a seasoned skydiver who had participated in numerous competitions and bagged several awards. His untimely death marks the second fatality at Jumptown Skydiving in less than a decade. In 2018, a 27-year-old skydiver, Alexis Zayas, died after colliding with a barn. In 2022, another skydiver was seriously injured when his parachute got tangled, resulting in a hard landing on a building’s roof.