Dad who had a ‘zest for life’ dies in tragic skydiving accident, Texas officials say

Jennifer Rodriguez
·2 min read
7

A father, son and brother with a “zest for life” has died following a tragic skydiving accident in Texas, news outlets reported.

Jacob Todd, 36, died on Oct. 15 when “his parachute malfunctioned” during a skydiving jump, according to KSAZ.

“They have a zest for life, they have a zest for adventure and he was one of those people,” his dad, Dave Todd, told KDVR. “The guy was not only my son, but my best friend.”

Jacob Todd, who was from Colorado, was attending a three-day “Epic Ring of Fire Boogie” event, according to KCBD. The event was for new and experienced jumpers.

McClatchy News reached out to event organizers of the Epic Ring of Fire Boogie and is awaiting a response.

“Basically, Jake had an accident,” his brother, Bryan Todd, told KSAZ. “He was too low. He had an issue with his parachute, and he was too low to be able to correct it in time.”

Bystanders performed life-saving measures on Jacob Todd who was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died, KCBD reported.

His family said he had been skydiving for years and was coming up on 100 jumps for this year, according to KDVR.

But more than his love for skydiving, he loved his 9-year-old daughter, according to his family.

“Most important to Jake was being an extremely loving father to his daughter,” a GoFundMe page said. “Together they loved to go on adventures like rock hunting, going to theme parks, and skydiving. If you knew Jake, you knew [she] was always attached at his hip.”

Jacob Todd is also survived by both of his parents and three siblings according to an online obituary.

“Jake was blessed with a contagious smile, tone and enthusiasm that all enjoyed,” his obituary read.

The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the accident, KCBD reported.

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