A seasoned skydiver in Michigan died on Saturday while practicing a particularly challenging style of flying.
34-year-old Kenneth Ryan Bernek attempted to fly close to the ground at the highest possible speed for an extended distance before landing, in a method of flying called "high performance canopy flight," or "swooping."
But Bernek's swooping attempt turned deadly when he crashed into a woman before he slammed into the ground.
Mamber of the Midwest Freefall Sport Parachute Club in Ray Township Randy Allison said Bernek, who frequented the club often, dove too low.
"The dive that he executed was a little too low and as a result he impacted the ground prematurely," Allison told the New York Daily News.
The woman with whom Bernek collided was standing near the landing zone. She was rushed to the hospital following the crash, but did not sustain any life-threatening injuries.
According to Allison, the plane took off into the air at around 6:10 p.m. Bernek hopped out of the plane at about 5,000 feet instead of the usual 14,000 feet above ground that is the standard height used in most jumps.
Bernek was an experienced diver, having started jumping at Midwest Freefall 11 years ago. He'd performed dives about 1,800 times in his life, according to the Daily Mail. He had his own equipment, and was a videographer for the club, using helmet-mounted cameras to tape other divers' jumps. He also taught tandem and solo flights.
"He was a mentor to a lot of people here and a guy who always had a smile on his face," Allison continued. "He was very accomplished and well-respected in the community and very well-credentialed. This saddened us greatly."
