Overview

• On July 9 in Rochelle, two skydivers collided midair at Chicagoland Skydiving Center, causing both canopies to collapse despite reserve parachute deployments
• A 40-year-old man was found in a parking lot with severe injuries and later pronounced dead at Rochelle Community Hospital, while the other diver sustained only minor wounds
• The July 7 death of 48-year-old dentist Dr. Noel Liu at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa followed a hard landing and marked the first of the two incidents
• Ogle and LaSalle County authorities are coordinating with the FAA and NTSB to investigate potential parachute malfunctions and review safety protocols
• These consecutive fatalities contrast with a record low nine U.S. skydiving deaths in 2024, prompting renewed scrutiny of sport safety standards