Missing Skydiver Found Dead Near Longmont Airport

LONGMONT, CO -- A man's body found west of Vance Brand airport on Friday is presumed to be that of a 23-year-old skydiver from Golden reported missing by his girlfriend the night before after he failed to return from a planned skydiving trip. According to a press release from the Boulder Sheriff's Department, a woman called the Longmont police at about 9 p.m. Thursday night to report that her boyfriend had not returned from a planned jump with Mile-Hi Skydivers at 1:15 p.m. that afternoon.

Longmont police found the man's car still parked at the airport and began a search of the area with the help of the Boulder Sheriff's Department. The search was focused on the area within a one-mile radius of the airport. It lasted until 3 a.m., when searchers paused to wait for daylight, and resumed at 7:30 a.m. The man's body was found in a field to the west of the airport in unincorporated Boulder County at approximately 9 a.m. Friday.

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The missing man was reported to be an experienced skydiver. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Boulder County Coroner's Office were notified and are investigating the incident.

The FAA will be responsible for determining the circumstances that led to the death, while the coroner's office will be responsible for confirming the man's identity, ensuring his family has been notified, and determining the cause and manner of his death.

The sheriff's office will continue to assist as needed.

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