Mother and Daughter Taken to Hospital for Minor Injuries

A US Navy parachutist from the Leap Frogs team accidentally crash-landed into the Fleet Week airshow crowd on October 13. A mother and daughter took the brunt of the impact and were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

The Navy Leap Frogs Parachute Team consists of fifteen active-duty SEALs, Special Warfare Combat Crewmen (SWCC), Divers (ND), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians (EOD), and Aircrew Survival Equipmentmen (PR). The members serve for three years at a time and complete nationwide tours to perform aerial demonstrations.

Six jumpers were sent to dazzle the Flare Week spectators in San Francisco, California. The group’s aiming point was the Marina Green, which was surrounded on all sides by excited viewers.

However, just after noon, the act took a turn for the worse when one parachutist carrying a flag veered towards bystanders low to the ground. Several people were hit in the crash landing. Specifically, a mother and her daughter unintentionally caught the parachuter and suffered minor injuries. Their conditions were assessed on the scene before being transported to a hospital for further treatment.

Footage from the event shows a bystander stating the obvious (“Uh oh, too far”) as the parachute passes over the camera. Shortly after, the parachuter was able to walk away unharmed.

“Our thoughts are with the individual and their family. Safety is our number one priority,” the Navy commented. “We cannot immediately assess what happened; however, we will review this incident to determine the cause.”

The incident was a not-so-great ending to an otherwise impressive airshow. Fleet Week, held this year from October 7-14, featured F-22 and F-35B demos, the Patriots Jet Team, a United 777 act, and a somewhat foggy Blue Angels headline.

FMI: www.fleetweeksf.org