A 25-year-old skydiver was killed on Sunday after his parachute spiraled out-of-control during a jump in Florida.
Joshua Butzke, of Connecticut, was visiting Florida when he went skydiving at Skydive City. The parachuting center is located at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport.
He jumped from a plane at 13,500 feet and opened his parachute at around 3,500 feet, David Hayes, general manager of Skydive City, told the Tampa Bay Times.
Butzke was able to open his parachute, but between 1,000 feet and 800 feet above the ground, the open parachute began spiraling.
Joshua Butzke (pictured), 25, was killed on Sunday after his parachute spiraled out-of-control during a 13,500-foot jump in Florida. Officials said the parachute started to spiral between 1,000ft and 800ft
Butzke (right), of CT, was visiting Florida when he went skydiving at Skydive City. He jumped from a plane at 13,500 feet and opened his parachute at around 3,500 feet, David Hayes, general manager of Skydive City
The parachuting center is located at the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (pictured)
Hayes told the newspaper that the parachute caused ‘devastating’ injuries. Butzke had completed 13 jumps over the two days he’d spent in in Florida.
The Zephyrhills Police Department said officers responded to the area around 4.20pm on Sunday after receiving reports of a parachutist down.
First responders rushed Butzke to the East Pasco Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about nearly an hour later from the injuries he suffered from the fall.
Hayes told the Times that it’s still unclear what caused Butzke’s parachute to spin.
But in some cases, spiraling parachutes can be attributed to an error in packing or poor body position on opening, according to DropZone.com. Some spiraling incidents, however, just happen.
The Federal Aviation Administration will conduct an investigation with the Zephyrhills Police Department. FAA investigators are expected to arrive to the site on Wednesday.
Skydive City closed Sunday after the incident, but skydivers were back out on Monday, according to the Times.
Butzke was licensed to skydive in New York in 2017, according to Hayes. Butzke was on his 85th jump ever, and was jumping with one other person when the tragic incident occurred, according to the Times.
Wein said Butzke (sitting in green) played Division I soccer at Bucknell University and often contributed to scholarship funds for students at the high school where his father teaches. She said her brother lived for his family, which includes his parents, sisters, and nephews
The Federal Aviation Administration will conduct an investigation with the Zephyrhills Police Department. FAA investigators are expected to arrive to the site on Wednesday. A Skydive City plane is seen during a jump
His sister, Eva Wein, said that Butzke loved ‘traveling and experiencing things’.
Wein, who text Butzke two hours before his last jump, called her brother ‘just a truly wonderful person’.
Butzke was born and raised in Port Jefferson Station, New York, and he worked as a financial planner for three years in Connecticut.
Wein told Bay News 9 that Butzke played Division I soccer at Bucknell University and often contributed to scholarship funds for students at the high school where his father teaches.
She said her brother lived for his family, which includes his parents, sisters, and nephews.
Butzke’s death is the second death at the Skydive City facility in less than two months.
Experienced skydiver, Kurt Tracy, was part of a group of 10 divers who went up for a ‘fun dive’ at 13,000 feet in November when something went wrong.
Officials said Tracy’s chute did not deploy causing his tragic death.