Fatality is the Seventh Tied to Longmont’s Mile-Hi Skydiving Since 2018

A 60-year-old skydiver passed away on November 16 after his parachute did not fully open during a solo jump with Mile-Hi Skydiving in Longmont. Since 2018, at least seven fatalities have been tied to this popular site, representing more than 7 percent of US skydiving deaths in the last 7 years.

Boulder County deputies responded to a field west of Vance Brand Airport (LMO) at around 3 pm, where the man was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses reported seeing him descending rapidly in a spin with a partially deployed canopy.

The company is commonly known as one of the most popular skydiving destinations in the nation, reporting roughly 35,000 jumps per year. Since 2018, at least seven fatalities have been linked to the operation, with two each in 2018 and 2019, one in 2021, one in 2024, and now one in 2025.

In 2018, instructor and videographer Patrick Gire suffered a severe traumatic brain injury during a jump and died the following year. That same year, experienced skydiver Logan Polfuss died after a tracking-suit jump. In 2019, two more fatalities occurred: Timothy DeTine in May and Brock Barto in June, the latter resulting from a hard-landing misjudgment at Vance Brand Municipal Airport.

More recent cases included the 2021 death of Sergio Lee Gonzales after a solo jump and the 2024 death of wingsuit flyer Gregory Coates, whose main and reserve parachutes failed to deploy.

"All the recent accidents involve highly experienced and qualified skydivers," read a statement from the skydiving center. "Skydiving is a challenge-by-choice sport, and as skydivers progress, they often challenge themselves with new canopy skills, different types of suits and different styles of flying."

According to US Parachute Association data, 88 skydiving deaths occurred nationally between 2018 and 2024. That means that the six previous Mile-Hi-related deaths account for nearly 7% of all US fatalities during that span, despite the company being a single drop zone among hundreds. National numbers remain comparatively low, with annual totals ranging from nine to twenty deaths per year since 2018.

The investigation into the most recent fatality is ongoing.

FMI: www.uspa.org