FAA probes skydiving death near Grand Canyon National Park Airport

PHOENIX – A tourist from the United Kingdom was killed in a tandem skydiving jump near the Grand Canyon and the skydiver he jumped with seriously injured, authorities say.

The pair had jumped while attached after taking off Sunday from Grand Canyon National Park Airport. The accident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The man who died was identified as Christopher Swales, 55, from the United Kingdom, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office said.

Swales had purchased a skydiving package from Paragon Skydive, a company at the airport. The injured man was a skydiver who was jumping tandem with the man who died.

'Accidents continue to happen': Fatal Hawaii skydiving plane crash renews NTSB's call for stricter rules

According to Coconino County officials, the skydive was going as planned until the pair approached the landing area.

Difficulties caused the pair to free-fall for an unknown distance and hit the ground in a "hard landing,'' the Sheriff's Office said.

The tourist was unconscious when paramedics arrived. He was pronounced dead at Flagstaff Medical Center, despite life-saving efforts at he scene, officials said. The Paragon employee suffered a broken leg

Ian Gregor, a spokesperson for the FAA, offered no additional details about the incident Tuesday.

"The FAA's skydiving accident investigations typically look at whether the parachutes were properly packed by the appropriate people and, when it occurs during a tandem jump, whether the instructor had the required experience and credentials," Gregor stated in an email.

The Grand Canyon National Park Airport is located in Tusayan, Arizona, approximately 15 minutes from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.

Private and charter aircraft fly into the airport daily and a few air tour operators are based at the airport, including the area's only skydiving operation, Paragon Skydive. The company opened its doors in 2016.

The company did not respond to requests for comment Monday and Tuesday.

Follow Chelsea Curtis on Twitter: @curtis_chels

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Grand Canyon skydiver dies in tandem jump. FAA investigates