A member of the Canadian Armed Forces SkyHawks parachute team remains in hospital with serious injuries after crashing to the ground at a high rate of speed during a Canada Day performance in Ottawa.
Videos shared to social media show the parachuter hitting the ground hard just after 3 p.m. in front of hundreds of spectators gathered on the lawn for the event on Parliament Hill.
On-site medical personnel rushed to aid the injured parachuter, who was later transported to hospital by Ottawa paramedics. The parachuter’s injuries are said to be serious, but non-life threatening.
SkyHawks public affairs officer Devon Gorman told The Epoch Times the identity of the SkyHawks member would not be released. He also declined to detail the specific injuries suffered by his team member or the treatment that member will receive, citing privacy concerns.
“The safety of spectators and our team members are our top two priorities,” Lieutenant Gorman said in a July 4 email. “We will thoroughly review the circumstances of this incident, however, our immediate concern is the wellbeing of our injured teammate who is in hospital receiving care.”
The SkyHawks parachute team has performed for more than 75 million spectators worldwide and is known for its signature Canadian flag parachutes.
The team, which is made up of Canadian Armed Forces personnel, “undergo extensive training prior to the start of the season to ensure the highest level of professionalism and proficiency allowing them to perform complex parachute manoeuvres safely,” according to the SkyHawks website.
The SkyHawks date back to 1969 when an unofficial team made up of sport parachute qualified members from the Canadian Airborne Regiment was formed, according to the team’s website.
The team came under command of the Canadian Airborne Centre in 1971 and was officially formed by National Defence Headquarters in August of that year. The title “SkyHawks” was bestowed upon the team by its commanding officer and the squad continues to be known by that name today, although the official name was changed in 2013 to the Canadian Army Parachute Team.
