Skydiver in Mason County dies after parachute clips tree, sheriff’s office says

A person taking a skydiving class outside Shelton died on Saturday, May 20, after their parachute clipped a tree, causing an uncontrolled fall. Their death is under investigation.

According to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, patrol officers were already driving on U.S. Highway 101 around 4:30 p.m. and witnessed the incident. The person was taking a class from Skydive Kapowsin, located next to Sanderson Field, the Port of Shelton’s airport just northwest of Shelton.

Units and other witnesses were on scene within minutes to provide aid, but the person was pronounced dead.

The incident is being investigated by the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.

This story was originally published May 22, 2023 at 8:39 AM.

Ty Vinson

The Olympian

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Ty Vinson covers the City of Olympia and keeps tabs on Tumwater and other communities in Thurston County. He joined The Olympian in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at the Northwest Indiana Times, the Oregonian and the Arizona Republic as a Pulliam Fellow. Support my work with a digital subscription