Skydiver Dies During Gathering in Northwest Montana

KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — Authorities say an experienced skydiver died after his parachute malfunctioned during a gathering in northwest Montana.

The Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell reports 81-year-old Gerald Fischer, of Moorhead, Minnesota, was participating in the Lost Prairie Boogie near Marion on Saturday morning when he had a hard opening and started to spin counter-clockwise. Fischer, who has completed more than 2,000 jumps, landed in a pasture and died at the scene.

The Lost Prairie Boogie is one of the largest gatherings of skydivers in the West. The nine-day summer camp draws hundreds of jumpers from around the country and the world.

Several people have died at the site over the years, including five people who were killed in a plane crash shortly after takeoff in 2007.

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Information from: Daily Inter Lake, http://www.dailyinterlake.com