Two veteran skydivers died after a mid-air accident in Fano, near Venice, Italy, after their parachutes became entangled during a group jump, the New York Post reported. Ermes Zampa, 70, a skydiving instructor with 2,000 jumps and three decades of experience, and Violetta Laiketsion, 63, a Brazilian former athlete who had completed 6,000 jumps, were killed on Dec. 14. The pair had taken part in a jump with 12 other skydivers, with Zampa being the first to jump and Laiketsion the last. Their parachutes became entangled about 30 meters, or 98 feet, above the ground. Roberto Mascio, director of Skydive Fano, said authorities had taken video footage of the incident recorded at the airfield. “In the footage, you could see the two canopies touching and then collapsing. In that situation, you’re really too close to the ground to make a decision, there’s very little time,” said Mascio. He said only seconds passed between impact and crash, calling it a “disaster.” “Lately, accidents are mainly due to human error; all it takes is a moment of distraction, and you don’t realize how close you are to another canopy,” Mascio added. Police are reviewing the footage as an investigation is underway.
Read it at New York Post
