New Jersey

Experienced Skydiver Dies in Accident in Williamstown, New Jersey

Paul Haaf Jr. had more than 1,200 jumps prior to his accidental death Sunday

What to Know

  • Paul Haaf Jr. died after a jump from a Skydive Cross Keys aircraft Sunday.
  • Haaf, an experienced diver with more than 1,200 jumps, deployed his main chute and attempted to deploy his backup chute, officials say.

An investigation is underway after an experienced skydiver with more than 1,200 jumps died in an accident in Williamstown, New Jersey, Sunday.

Paul Haaf Jr. jumped from a Skydive Cross Keys aircraft just after 5 p.m., Gloucester County Prosecutors Office chief investigator Thomas Gilbert said. Haaf experienced some sort of problem after deploying his main chute, cut that chute and attempted to deploy a secondary chute.

Monroe Township police found Haaf, who was a frequent visitor to Skydive Cross Keys with more than 1,200 jumps, dead in the area of Brookdale and Herbert boulevards in Williamstown, investigators said.

Gloucester County Medical Examiner Dr. Gerald Feigin determined that multiple injuries caused the 54-year-old's death and listed Haaf's manner of death as accidental.

Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration joined county investigators in figuring out the exact details of the deadly incident.

There are inherent risks to skydiving but deaths are rare. In 2018, 13 people died in roughly 3.3 million jumps, the United States Parachute Association says

The last death at Skydive Cross Keys was a solo jumper in 2014, a facility spokeswoman said.

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