Oct. 12--A day after a 65-year-old skydiver died after an accident in Ottawa, national skydiving officials say the sport is more popular than ever, with hundreds of locations across the country where thrill-seekers can experience an airplane jump.
Richard L. Gomez, of Berwyn, died Sunday, about two hours after suffering a "hard landing" at Skydive Chicago, according to Cpl. Dave Woolford of the LaSalle County sheriff's office.
"He was a decorated Vietnam veteran," said Maura Shea, who answered the phone at Gomez's residence Monday and identified herself as a family member. "He will be very much missed."
Sherry Butcher, board president for the U.S. Parachute Association, said while deaths always hit the skydiving community hard, the rate of fatalities in skydiving has dropped significantly since the 1970s, when the sport averaged 42.5 skydiving deaths per year.
In 2014, there were 24 skydiving deaths in the U.S. from an estimated 3.2 million jumps, Butcher said.
"I would never tell you that skydiving is safe," Butcher said. "But I would tell you that over the last 20 years, the U.S. Parachute Association and board have worked hard to standardize training and ... the advances in the equipment have been phenomenal."
There are 300 drop zones -- or skydiving centers -- listed as members of the association, where an estimated 38,000 active skydivers -- the highest number in the group's history -- make their jumps, she said.
"Now you can go to just about any city or small town and get on an airplane and do a jump and see what it's all about," Butcher said.
Sunday's accident happened at Skydive Chicago, a drop zone considered one of the largest skydiving centers in the U.S. with an "excellent" safety record, Butcher said.
A spokesman from Skydive Chicago was not immediately available for comment.
After every skydiving accident, local representatives for the association conduct a review and file a report to a regional director. If there appears to be a problem or breach of procedure, the association can discipline a group or individual by requiring training, revoking membership or other means, Butcher said.
But the bulk of accidents in skydiving happen as a combination of unpredictable problems -- such as weather or equipment failure -- combined with human error, she said.
"Of course it's horrible to lose anyone, but we are skydiving, and we all understand as we step inside that airplane the risk that we are doing," Butcher said.
Woolford said Skydive Chicago did not close Sunday after the accident, and skydivers were still going up Sunday afternoon.
"Another plane took off after the investigation," said Woolford, who added that an accident like the one Sunday "normally doesn't stop people."
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