A large rescue operation was underway during the Saturday afternoon at Näsinge airfield northeast of Strömstad. The deceased men, who were in their 30s and 40s, were located and taken to the hospital by ambulance, but their lives could not be saved.
According to the rescue leader Tomas Rönnborg, one of the men was found in a tree, writes Strömstads Tidning.
Jumper number two was 600–700 meters into the forest and was hanging in his parachute in the tree. The operation became complicated when the jumper was still stuck, he says to the newspaper.
4,000 meters altitude
Anna Oscarson at the Swedish Parachute Association says that it is a so-called free fall collision. The accident occurred during an exercise where ten people jumped coordinated from 4,000 meters altitude.
It's terribly sad and tragic. Our thoughts go to the relatives and club friends, she says to TT.
Exactly how the accident happened is unclear, but Oscarson notes that it involves large forces when falling freely from that height. It's about speeds of 200–300 kilometers per hour.
It seems like they came at different speeds and then somehow got in each other's way, she says.
Experienced jumpers
The two men who died were experienced parachutists, something that is required for this type of jump, says Oscarson.
Fortunately, this type of accident is not common, they are rather very rare, she says.
The Swedish Parachute Association will initiate an investigation to find out what went wrong during the jump.
Our national inspector is in the car on the way there to start the investigation.
The accident is being investigated by the police as causing another person's death, and there is no suspect in the case.
A third person is reported to be involved in the accident, but is unharmed.
The alarm about the accident came in to the police at 12.38 on Saturday.
