62-year-old man evacuated by helicopter after parachute accident in Knoxville, Iowa – Oskaloosa News

Knoxville Iowa Municipal Airport. (Photo by Candace Flattery/Oskaloosa News)

Knoxville, Iowa – A 62-year-old Urbandale, Iowa man is in critical condition following a skydiving accident at Knoxville Municipal Airport. The incident occurred around 2:24 p.m. today, according to Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholt.

The man had jumped from a height of about 4,500 metres and was reported to have started having problems with his parachute at about 1,200 metres. Witnesses observed him spiralling down before hitting the ground.

Rescue workers arrived at the scene of the accident immediately. Due to the severity of his injuries, the injured man was flown by helicopter to Des Moines for urgent medical treatment.

Further details on the cause of the parachute malfunction and the man’s current condition have yet to be released. Sheriff Sandholt stated that an investigation is currently underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the accident.