A 51-year-old skydiver has died after testing a new parachute for the first time in Sardinia, Italy. Simone Bacchiega, an experienced jumper with over 600 jumps, lost control approximately 130 feet from the ground and fatally plummeted.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning at the Is Paulis airfield. Bacchiega had jumped from a height of more than 13,000 feet and made a sudden turn to adjust his landing path, but lost control. Eyewitnesses suggested crosswinds may have contributed.
Bacchiega, originally from Cremona, had travelled to Sardinia with two friends to test his new Crossfire 109 high-performance canopy, which he had purchased weeks earlier. This was his first jump with the equipment.
Emergency services arrived within minutes and performed CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. Instructor Valentino described the fall as 'terrible' and said nothing more could be done. The prosecutor's office has confiscated the gear to investigate potential technical malfunction.
Bacchiega ran a home maintenance business and enjoyed skydiving and boxing. He is survived by a son and a daughter.
