Corey Hood, Golden Knights Parachutist, Dies Following Air & Water Show Accident

Sergeant First Class Corey Hood, a parachutist for the U.S. Army Golden Knights team, died Sunday following an accident at the Chicago Air & Water Show.

Army Parachutist Dies

Hood, 32, collided with a member of the U.S. Navy’s Leap Frog Team during Saturday’s airshow. The veteran jumper lost consciousness during the jump and was subsequently carried towards a nearby building, which he slammed into during his descent, according to CBS Chicago.

“They did the formation, and during breakoff, there was a collision with one of the team members and a Navy Leap Frog,” Golden Knights spokeswoman Donna Dixon told CBS. “The team member was knocked unconscious, and was carried off into a building.”

Hood ended up landing in the Gold Coast, and was completely limp. He was then rushed to nearby Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where doctors performed surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. On Sunday at 4:05 p.m., Hood was pronounced dead.

Hood, who enlisted in the army at age 17, had served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since he started jumping for the Golden Knights in 2010, he has recorded more than 500 freefall jumps.

“Our focus right now is on supporting Corey’s family and grieving for our teammate,” Lt. Col. Matthew Weinrich, commander, USAPT said in a statement. “As Soldiers, there are risks every day in what we do, but you do everything you can to minimize those risks and it is extremely hard when that is not enough. The Knights are a very close knit team and the military skydiving community is equally close; we will support Corey’s family and each other during this difficult time.”

The Navy parachutist who collided with Hood is said to be in fair condition after suffering a lower leg fracture.