KALISPELL, Mont. – Authorities say an experienced skydiver from Moorhead died after his parachute malfunctioned during a gathering in northwest Montana.
Gerald Fischer, 81, was participating in the Lost Prairie Boogie near Marion, Montana on Saturday morning when he had a hard opening and started to spin counter-clockwise. Fischer, who has completed more than 2,000 jumps, landed in a pasture and died at the scene.
The event is one of the largest gatherings of skydivers in the West and draws hundreds of jumpers from around the country and the world. The Lost Prairie Boogie is one of the largest gatherings of skydivers in the West.
The nine-day summer camp draws hundreds of jumpers from around the country and the world. Several people have died at the site over the years, including five people who were killed in a plane crash shortly after takeoff in 2007.
