Skydiver dies after legs severed during jump

April 25, 2005

A Florida cinematographer, skydiving with 14 others, was killed on Saturday when his legs were severed at the knees by the wing of the aircraft that had just dropped him.

Albert Wing III deployed his parachute and caught an updraft when the left wing of a DHC-6 Twin Otter propeller plane struck him. He managed to control his descent and land near the DeLand Airport, about 40 miles north of Orlando.

He was airlifted to a hospital where he later died. It was not known if he was filming at the time of the accident, and a camera has not been found.

The plane and the other sport jumpers landed safely.