Skydiver crash lands in Vero Beach’s Riomar

Skydiver hurt after hard landing at Skydive Sebastian

SEBASTIAN — An unidentified, 44-year-old skydiver was hurt after he made a hard landing on the property of Skydive Sebastian Wednesday, authorities said. "He was awake and talking before fire rescue took him to the hospital," Sebastian police Lt. Tim Wood said. Details on the man's town of residence were not available. The man descended at the landing zone, but was found about 100 feet from where he hit the ground, Indian River County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Jamie Coleman said. Coleman said the lift from winds possibly caused the parachute to drag the man from the landing zone. The incident happened about noon at Skydive Sebastian, 400 Airport Drive West. The skydiving company is located on the northwestern side ...

Veteran skydiver instructor dies after hard landing

SEBASTIAN — A 49-year-old veteran skydiver instructor died Monday after a hard landing at the Sebastian Municipal Airport, police said. Sebastian police identified the man as Christian Stevens, of Canton, Georgia. Police said it appeared Stevens was trying to avoid hitting another skydiver during his landing. Officers responded to the incident about 10 a.m. Monday at the airport, 202 Airport Drive. Skydive Sebastian is located in the northwest part of the airport. Emergency personnel treated Stevens, who landed on the grass and was unconscious. Authorities said Stevens was breathing and bleeding from the head. Officials took Stevens to Sebastian River Medical Center, police said. Medical staff pronounced Stevens dead. Sebastian had northeast winds under 10 mph at the time of ...

‘They’ll always be part of this community’ – Rowing event shows respect for bridge crash victims

VERO BEACH — It's a day he will never forget. Matt Harrelson was one of the first policemen to pull up to the wreckage of a head-on collision between a silver van carrying a rowing team and a red Dodge pickup. The Vero Beach lieutenant, firefighters and paramedics rushed to the mangled van - sitting at the intersection of the Merrill P. Barber Bridge and Indian River Boulevard - to pull out members of College of the Holy Cross Women's Rowing Team. Some team members in the back seats were able to climb out on their own, Harrelson said. Others toward the front had broken bones. "It was a pretty traumatic scene because of the number of victims and major ...