A British dad who died in a Grand Canyon skydive while on holiday with his wife had been given a parachute with holes in it, it has been revealed.
Christopher Swales, 55, was doing the skydive as a 30th wedding anniversary gift from his wife when something went wrong as he came to land.
He was found unconscious at the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, in Arizona, US, a short while later but later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
His sky diving partner survived the fall but suffered a broken leg and was taken to hospital for treatment.
According to a report by investigators who checked the equipment after the accident, the canopy had a series of holes in it.
The report, seen by The Sun , showed holes “circled with pen to track movement, or continuing tear, of the material”.
It said “numerous” patches had been sewn on to the parachute yet despite this, the jump took place when winds were 27mph — 2mph more than allowed in the UK for a leap.
US police have since closed the case and ruled Mr Swales' death an accident, with a spokesman for skydive firm Paragon insisting: “All the equipment was functioning 100 per cent correctly.
"It was maintained according to the regulations.”
The firm has blamed military trained instructor Matthew McGonagle, 34, for “panicking” and turning too sharply wwhen he missed the landing zone.
Christopher, who owned a successful joinery firm in Harrogate, North Yorks, had been on holiday in Arizona with wife Deborah, 53, whom he had been married to for 30 years, in September.
Mr Swales had always wanted to skydive and was over-the-moon when Deborah surprised him with the anniversary gift.
The couple had just renewed their vows before he died.
Deborah reportedly declined to comment on the police report.
Mirror Online has contacted parachute company Paragon for comment.
