Skydiving Instructor Dies Day After After Freak Accident Where Parachute Failed to Open on Jump in Texas

A skydiving instructor in Texas has died after the parachute he was using did not open during a tandem jump with a student, local sheriffs said. 

The tragedy took place on Saturday in Waller County, northwest of Houston.

A witness who lives nearby said the first parachute did not open, so one of the skydivers cut it off, and a second backup chute only partially deployed, CBS Houston affiliate KHOU-TV reported. 

When they landed, the witness said the male instructor, whose name was not released, was unconscious and the female student was awake and asking for help, Click2Houston reported. 

The instructor and student were airlifted to a trauma center, the news outlet reported. 

The instructor, who was critically injured, died from the injuries he sustained the following day. The female student, who miraculously survived, is suffering from serious but non-life threading injuries, CBS News reported.

The company, Skydive Houston, issued a statement, saying in part: "Skydive Houston, along with the greater skydiving community at large, is deeply saddened by the loss of our tandem instructor and friend. Our sincerest condolences are extended to his friends and family. We continue to pray for a full recovery for the injured tandem student."

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