Skydiving Pennsylvania Mayor Doesn't Open Parachute, Dies
Scott Shields, the mayor of Rutledge Borough in the Philadelphia suburbs, died Friday when he failed to pull the cord on his main or reserve parachute while skydiving in South Jersey. By the time the reserve opened on its own, it was too late. Shields, on the left in the photo, was 45, and by all accounts a good guy.
"The automatic opener fires at about 750 feet - it's your last chance," said Mark Kruse, a skydiving instructor at Freefall Adventures in Williamstown, N.J. "His deployed, but it didn't open all the way, which can happen if you are tumbling."
Kruse said skydivers can tumble when they are incapacitated.
His friend Rick Keckler described what would be Shields's last jump.
"We went out the door holding each other's arms - and smiling," said Keckler. "The plan was to dock, separate a little bit, and dock again. But when I separated, I got too far away and there wasn't going to be enough time to catch up, so I waved him off to let him know I wasn't going to dock up with him. ... He was healthy, smiling and vibrant. Nothing seemed to be wrong at all."
When he learned Shields did not deploy either of his parachutes, Keckler said one thought came to mind. "He must have been unconscious," he said. "Scott was a sharp guy. He would have gotten rid of his main. For the (automatic opener) to deploy tells me something was wrong."
Friend: Shields in ‘good spirits' before fatal jump (With Video) [Delaware County Times]
