A heartbreaking video captured the tragic moment when professional skydiver Carolina Muñoz Kennedy, 40, from Chile, fell to her death after both her main and reserve parachutes failed during a dive. The incident occurred on Saturday in Boituva, Brazil, during what would become her final jump.
According to reports by the New York Post, Muñoz Kennedy’s main parachute malfunctioned, and her reserve chute opened with tangled lines, causing a dangerous spin mid-air. Video footage shows her in a deadly spiral, attempting to regain control. At one point, she appears to stabilize but suddenly veers off course, crashing behind a row of trees. Eyewitnesses say she attempted an emergency landing but struck a road, leading to fatal injuries.
“She was lying there on the ground waiting for help, and people were calling the fire department and the police. I felt incredibly sad, shocked,” shared José Soares de Melo, a witness at the scene.
Paramedics arrived quickly, administering first aid before transporting her to a nearby hospital. Unfortunately, Muñoz Kennedy later succumbed to her injuries. Her death, just two days after her 40th birthday, occurred during her final jump of a series she had completed that day.
Following the incident, the Brazilian Skydiving Confederation announced it would conduct a detailed investigation into the accident. “In this difficult time, our thoughts are with our dear athlete, her family, and the entire skydiving community,” the organization said in a statement. “We reaffirm our commitment to the safety and well-being of everyone involved in our sport.”
The police are also investigating, having seized Muñoz Kennedy’s high-performance equipment for forensic analysis. Her ashes are set to be returned to Chile following her cremation on Wednesday.
Messages of love and grief poured in across social media. “Fly high, beautiful friend!” one friend wrote. Another posted, “Thank you for being in my life, for your support, your time, your kindness, the laughter, and those late-night study sessions. I adore you forever.”
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, around 30 to 40 skydiving fatalities occur annually in the United States. As the skydiving community mourns this loss, the tragic accident highlights both the risks involved in the sport and the deep bonds shared among its participants.