PMID- 31240014
OWN - NLM
STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE
LR  - 20220408
IS  - 1925-3621 (Electronic)
IS  - 1925-3621 (Linking)
VI  - 7
IP  - 4
DP  - 2017 Dec
TI  - Parachute Deaths in Southern Arizona.
PG  - 649-656
LID - 10.23907/2017.055 [doi]
AB  - INTRODUCTION: Parachuting is said to be a relatively safe activity. We sought to 
      undertake a study to assess parachute-related deaths in our jurisdiction. 
      METHODS: A retrospective study of parachute-related deaths in Southern Arizona 
      was conducted by searching the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner 
      database between 2001 and 2016. This search revealed 24 deaths. RESULTS: The 
      decedents ranged from 19 to 61 years of age, with a median age of 36 years. 
      Twenty-two of the decedents were male. The racial breakdown was 22 white, one 
      Asian, and one not recorded. The manner of death in all cases was classified as 
      an accident. All deaths were due to multiple blunt force injuries and only one 
      case was found to have no injuries to the head or neck. The most common 
      circumstances were failure of chute deployment (seven), mid-air collisions 
      (three), and becoming entangled with other parachutists (three). Six deaths 
      occurred during military training. Four of the nonmilitary decedents were 
      described as "experienced" parachutists and one case involved a tandem jump team 
      with a survivor. Natural disease was found in four cases with three having 
      moderate coronary artery atherosclerosis. Toxicology was performed in 21 of the 
      deaths with three positive for cannabinoids, one positive for 7-aminoclonazepam, 
      and one positive for 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). DISCUSSION: 
      Parachuting is a relatively safe activity, with very few deaths. Investigation of 
      these deaths should include a complete autopsy with toxicology as well as a 
      thorough scene investigation and evaluation of the jumper's equipment.
FAU - Cronin, Rose
AU  - Cronin R
AD  - University of Arizona Honors College.
FAU - Winston, David C
AU  - Winston DC
AD  - Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner and University of Arizona Arizona 
      Health Sciences Center.
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
DEP - 20171201
PL  - United States
TA  - Acad Forensic Pathol
JT  - Academic forensic pathology
JID - 101596736
PMC - PMC6474444
OTO - NOTNLM
OT  - Blunt force injuries
OT  - Forensic pathology
OT  - Parachute deaths
COIS- DISCLOSURES & DECLARATION OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST This work was presented at the 
      2017 NAME Annual Meeting. The authors, reviewers, editors, and publication staff 
      do not report any relevant conflicts of interest
EDAT- 2017/12/01 00:00
MHDA- 2017/12/01 00:01
PMCR- 2017/12/01
CRDT- 2019/06/27 06:00
PHST- 2017/10/19 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2017/11/07 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2019/06/27 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2017/12/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2017/12/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 2017/12/01 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - 10.23907_2017.055 [pii]
AID - 10.23907/2017.055 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Acad Forensic Pathol. 2017 Dec;7(4):649-656. doi: 10.23907/2017.055. Epub 2017 
      Dec 1.