Mystery as experienced skydiver Sandro Bigozzi plunges nearly 5,000ft to death

Sandro Bigozzi, 49, had nearly 6,000 jumps under his belt and shared footage of a successful dive just two hours before the tragic event on Saturday that left him dead

An experienced skydiver with thousands of dives to his name has died after plunging 1,500m, as investigators work to understand what happened on his final jump. Sandro Bigozzi, 49, was one of Italy’s^[1] most experienced skydivers with nearly 6,000 jumps under his belt and 50,000 followers on Instagram^[2].

He tragically died after taking off from an airstrip in the town of Montecompatri, close to Rome on Saturday. Footage of a successful dive^[3] taken just two hours before the tragic event was shared by the daredevil before disaster struck.

Police, firefighters and paramedics all rushed to the densley vegetated field where he crashed, but were unable to save him. Now, investigators believe his main chute^[4] failed to deploy, and that his reserve either malfunctioned or was pulled too late.

READ MORE: Skydiving horror as married dad dies after ‘losing grip’ and smashing into ground^[5]READ MORE: Extreme sports fanatic ‘slips and falls’ 290ft to death taking selfie on tower^[6]

A late deployment of the parachutes would mean that Sandro would not have had time to slow down enough before reaching the ground. Officials have seized equipment used in the jump and spoken to witnesses to try and get to the bottom of the mystery incident.

Investigators are also reportedly looking into the possibility that the thrill seeker may have suffered a sudden illness over the course of the flight and skydive that could have stopped him from saving himself. An autopsy will be carried out in the coming days as part of the investigation into Sandro’s death.

Sandro, from Grosseto originally, was a professional parachuting instructor with more than 5,600 jumps to his name. As well as working as a skydiver the dad also held a role as a sales representative for a pharmaceutical company. He leaves behind his wife and two young daughters.

A heartbreaking final Facebook^[7] post reflected his love of the sky and sea. In it he wrote: “When I first started parachuting as a student, the sea was a dream. I wondered if I’d ever get to fly over it.”

In 2015, Sandro has fulfilled a dream by jumping with his grandfather, and in 2018 he even performed a tandem leap with Grosseto mayor Antonfrancesco Vivarelli Colonna. In tribute, the mayor said: “I had the honour of flying for the first time with him: a unique experience, made unforgettable by his skill and his smile. His passion for flying was contagious, his enthusiasm genuine. Today we lose not only a professional but a special person, loved by many.”

The tragic news comes just weeks after the world-famous skydiver Felix Baumgartner died in a paragliding accident at an Italian holiday resort. Baumgartner, 56, was in a motorised paraglider on a flight at Italy’s Porto Sant’Elpidio in the province of Fermo when he appeared to lose control of the glider.

Horrified holidaymakers and staff at Le Mimose del Club del Sole holiday village looked on as the glider plummeted to earth. The aircraft reportedly smashed into a wooden feature near the park’s busy swimming pool area after the Red Bull-sponsored athlete lost control.

Tourists and staff could be seen rushing to where Baumgartner lay near the pool in images from the regional newspaper Corriere Adriatico. Some people appeared to be on their knees attempting first aid on the glider pilot before staff members arrived with a spinal board amid fears the skydiver had sustained severe injuries. The pool was evacuated in the wake of the horrific accident but not before several children who had been playing there witnessed the crash.