Tri-Service

Army Parachutist Dies After Mid-Air Collision

A member of the US Army's Golden Knights parachute display team has died following a mid-air collision.

Sgt. Corey Hood was fatally injured after hitting a high-rise building when a jump went wrong in the skies above Chicago.

While performing a bomb blast - where two parachutists circle each other amid a spiral of smoke - Hood was involved in a collision with another jumper.

Out of control he hit an apartment block and fell some 10 storeys to the ground. Emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his brain failed to save his life.

The other parachutist involved in the accident, a member of the US Navy Leap Frogs, managed to land safely on a Lake Michigan beach although is understood to have suffered a broken leg.

Sgt. Hood who was 32 and a Forward Observer had served in the military for 14 years, including five tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Golden Knights perform at Chicago's Air and Water Show in 2008

His commanding officer Lt. Col. Matthew Weinrich said "Our focus right now is on supporting Corey's family and grieving for our teammate."

"As soldiers, there are risks every day in what we do, but you do everything you can to minimise those risks and it is extremely hard when that is not enough."

"The Knights are a very close knit team and the military skydiving community is equally close; we will support Corey's family and each other during this difficult time."

The Golden Knights, whose two teams hold demonstrations across the US, were perfoming at the Chicago Air and Water Show.

Positions in the team are usually held for three years with those wishing to join having to undergo a rigorous tryout regime.

Held at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, applicants undertake 150-200 freefall parachute jumps over a 6 week period.

Earlier this year a British Army paratrooper was critically injured while training at Fort Bragg - the unnamed soldier was knocked unconscious while exiting a plane leading him to land "very badly".

It's understood he suffered major pelvic injuries.

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