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Fourth Skydiver Dies After Departing Airport In Longmont

LONGMONT, Colo. (AP/CBS4) — Authorities are investigating the fourth fatal skydiving accident in the past year at a Colorado airport.

Longmont police Sgt. John Wederquist says rescue crews responded Saturday to reports of a man in his 30s who apparently misjudged his landing and hit the ground hard.

brock barto (dead skydiver from family) 1
Brock Barto (credit: Barto family)

The man, identified by Mile-Hi Skydiving as Brock Barto, was pronounced dead at a hospital. They say he was an employee who was an experienced skydiver with hundreds of jumps.

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Brock Barto (credit: Barto family)
Vance Brand Airport
Vance Brand Airport in Longmont (credit: ci.longmont.co.us)

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to investigate the death.

It's the fourth death of a skydiver in the past year from flights taking off from the Vance Brand Municipal Airport 38 miles north of Denver.

Most recently, skydiving instructor and videographer Patrick Gire of Denver died June 17 from complications stemming from a September accident.

Two skydivers also died in separate falls in October and May.

(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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