Nebraska Skydiver Dies In Michigan After Maneuvering Mistake

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (AP) – A Michigan company that offers skydiving says a man who died last weekend had no equipment problems but turned too close to the ground.

Skydive Grand Haven released a statement Wednesday, saying 33-year-old Paul Van Vuuren of Atlanta, Nebraska, was an experienced skydiver who had made hundreds of jumps.

Skydive Grand Haven says the event at Grand Haven Memorial Airpark involved hundreds of licensed skydivers doing “high-performance maneuvers” with small, fast parachutes. The company says it was a separate group and unrelated to its business.

Skydive Grand Haven says accidents sometimes occur and it is “deeply saddened” by Van Vuuren’s death. Grand Haven is 34 miles (55 kilometers) west of Grand Rapids along Lake Michigan.