An 81-year-old Minnesota man died in a skydiving accident in Montana.
The tragic incident happened around 12:45 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 at Skydive Lost Prarie near Marion, Montana, when Gerald F. Fischer, of Moorhead, jumped from a plane and fell to his death, according to the Flathead County Sheriff's Office.
A press release from the sheriff's office says Fischer experienced a "hard opening" when he released his parachute, causing him to turn counter clockwise under the canopy at about 4,000 feet. Fischer continued to spin counter clockwise until he crashed into a pasture.
Fischer, an experienced skydiver with more than 2,000 jumps under his belt, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to Westpoint Skydiving Adventures, a hard opening happens at the end of a free fall when jumpers deploy their parachute. It can result in injuries to the skydiver and cause equipment damage