Massachusetts man seriously injured in skydiving incident in Maine

A Massachusetts man was seriously injured Monday when he suffered an “extremely hard impact” while skydiving in Maine.

Manny Silva, 57, of Dartmouth was conscious and alert when emergency responders arrived at the scene of the accident at Skydive New England in Lebanon, Maine, News Center Maine reported. The incident occurred because he was unable to perform a “flair” during a dive, a maneuver that would have allowed him to slow down before landing, officials told the station.

According to News Center Maine, he was taken to the hospital by helicopter with serious injuries.

In a statement to the broadcaster, Skydive New England said Silva had previously completed 33 jumps.

“According to witnesses, the skydiver's free fall and parachute deployment proceeded normally, with no signs of equipment malfunction,” the company said. “Observers noted that the parachute functioned as expected throughout the descent. However, at an altitude of approximately 300 feet, for unknown reasons, the skydiver aborted the active parachute deployment, resulting in a hard landing.”

The safety of its guests remains its “top priority,” it said.

“We are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all of our skydivers,” they told News Center Maine.

The extent of Silva's injuries was not initially known, the company said.