Navy SEAL Dies In Virginia Parachuting Accident | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

According to the Associated Press, a Navy SEAL was killed in a rare parachuting accident in Virginia last week during what might have been a “base jump” – when jumpers use a cliff or tower to gain altitude before jumping.

Multiple reports say that 30-year-old Tyler Stimson, a resident of Virginia Beach and a Navy SEAL who had served several deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, probably became tangled in his shoot as he jumped from a 260-foot tower near his base in Virginia. The base jump was from a cell phone tower in Suffolk near Route 10 and Harrell Drive. The parachuting jump was not related to a Navy operation or drill.

A Suffolk 911 call released by police regarding the parachute death revealed that the friend that Stimson was with seemed in shock or possibly unaware of where the tower was located. By the time rescue workers found the man, he had died of his injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Police charged Stimson’s friend with trespassing on private land.

During his combat service, he received several awards and commendations for his contribution to his country. Stimson’s Facebook page revealed his love for extreme sports as well as pictures and footage of someone jumping from similar cell phone towers in the area. Reports say that Stimson slipped while jumping, causing the chute to wrap around his legs. Parachuting experts say that base jumping is considerably more dangerous than skydiving, in which jumpers are several thousand feet off of the ground and supported by two parachutes.