DeLAND, Fla. – A 31-year-old Navy SEAL has died after making a hard landing during a skydiving exercise in Central Florida.
[AUDIO: 911 call released ]
William "Blake" Marston of Concord, New Hampshire, died Saturday morning after landing on the grounds of a DeLand airport, where he was conducting the training exercise.
"He fell from high up," a 911 caller told dispatchers. "I could hear that thing like it was like a plane. All I heard was, 'pheeeew,' like a plane was falling or something, so I looked over and I saw this guy just free falling out the sky."
Police said after he was found on the ground unconscious and with a broken leg, he was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The witness told police that something flew off his parachute as he was in free fall between 40 to 60 feet above ground.
New Hampshire U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte and Gov. Maggie Hassan said Marston, who was in the Navy for six years, served the country with honor and courage.
No other details were released, and SkyDive DeLand refused to answer questions asked by Local 6.
The Navy is investigating the death.