A Minnesota mother who survived cancer has died while skydiving in Arizona after experiencing parachute ‘complications.’
Ann Wick, 54, of Stillwater was skydiving at Skydive Arizona in Eloy with a group when the fatal incident occurred on Friday around 4 pm.
Her chute became twisted after it deployed and she was unable to trigger her emergency one, according to police.
Her brother Jeff Wallis told KARE 11: ‘There was an equipment failure of some sort. Her chute got tangled and she was not able to release the chute to get her emergency chute out.’
Paramedics were already on the scene for training, so they were able to immediately respond to Wick’s accident – but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The Eloy Police Department and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are investigating Wick’s death, according to a statement from the police department.
In a statement to People Magazine, Skydive Arizona wrote: ‘We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.
‘Despite the parachute fully deploying as designed, observers noted the canopy was turning. No corrective actions appeared to be taken by the jumper, nor was the reserve parachute deployed. The injuries sustained during landing proved fatal.’
Ann Wick, 54, of Stillwater was skydiving at Skydive Arizona in Eloy with a group when the fatal incident occurred on Friday around 4 pm
When her son Charlie and daughter Rosalie were teenagers, Wick decided to go to nursing school. She became a registered nurse shortly before she passed away
The mom had recreationally skydived nearly 300 times. Her brother described her as a ‘thrill seeker.’
Wallis said his sister spent her life defying the odds – overcoming injuries, having children, battling sickness and becoming a nurse.
Wick grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota with her parents and three brothers, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
At 20 years old, she was in a serious car crash that doctors said would make her infertile.
In 2010, Wick was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and underwent ‘grueling surgeries and chemo,’ her family shared in a statement to KSTP, but was able to beat it.
When her son Charlie and daughter Rosalie were teenagers, Wick decided to go to nursing school. She became a registered nurse shortly before she passed away.
‘She felt it was her calling to help others. She also began skydiving around the same time,’ her family wrote.
Wallis created a GoFundMe page to help Wick’s children cover funeral costs and other expenses. So far, more than $3,800 in donations have been collected.
Wallis said his sister spent her life defying the odds – overcoming injuries, having children, battling sickness and becoming a nurse
Wick had skydived nearly 300 times when she experienced the deadly ‘complication’ with her chute
‘You want it to be a bad dream,’ Wallis said to KARE 11. ‘You realize it is not a dream, then you are crying because you realize it is real.’
In August 2024, a California skydiver died alongside her instructor in a freak weather event.
Kayla Kieko Black, 28, was pronounced dead at a Riverside County hospital after she and her skydiving instructor hit twin ‘dust devils’ at around 40 feet above ground.
Dust devils are small tornadoes that form in areas of strong surface heating, like Arizona, when there are clear skies and light winds, according to the National Weather Service.
They are generally considered harmless, but as Black and her instructor, Devrey LaRiccia Chase, 28, hit the twin dust devils as they were preparing to land on August 2 they started to experience turbulence.
By the time they reached around 25 feet off the ground, they hit the second dust devil – leaving them no time to react and slammed into the ground.