By Candice Ruud and John Valenti
Newsday
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday it is investigating the cause of a skydiving accident that killed a New York City correction officer and seriously injured his instructor during a tandem jump the day before in Calverton.
Family and friends identified the victim as Gary Messina, of Medford, according to News 12 Long Island.
The accident happened at 4:10 p.m. Wednesday at Skydive Long Island, Riverhead police said.
Skydive Long Island is a Calverton-based business catering to recreational skydivers that also operates a training school.
Police said the instructor was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.
On Thursday, Riverhead police declined to identify the officer or instructor, referring all questions to the FAA. The FAA said it does not make identifications and referred all calls seeking that information to police.
The correction officer would have turned 25 Thursday, Norman Seabrook, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association Inc., said.
“It’s an unfortunate tragedy that we lose one of our brother officers the day before his 25th birthday, a young man, a great officer with so much promise,” Seabrook said in a statement released Wednesday. “Our hearts go out to his family and we will always be there for them.”
Ray Maynard, owner of Skydive Long Island since 1986, according to its website, choked up as he briefly spoke Wednesday night outside his office near Calverton Executive Airpark.
“I’m very sorry about the unfortunate skydiving accident that happened today,” Maynard said. “It resulted in one fatality and one person in critical condition. It’s under investigation by the FAA and the police, and that’s all I have to say.”
Witnesses said the parachute was open, Riverhead Police Chief Dave Hegermiller said.
The circumstances of the accident remain under investigation and the FAA has not released details of the accident.
Nearly 30 New York City correction officers arrived at the scene of the accident Wednesday night, but none would comment. Several of the officers, some in their correction department uniforms and others in street clothes, could be seen hugging and consoling one other.
On its website, the Calverton-based business bills itself as “the premiere resort skydiving facility in the tri-state area.” The website also says the company is the only training center for skydiving students on Long Island.
On July 20, owner Maynard celebrated his 45th year in business -- having made more than 4,000 successful jumps, according to the website.
Last summer, a 25-year-old Massapequa woman and her tandem instructor from Skydive Long Island narrowly escaped serious injury during her first jump. Powerful winds pushed Amber Gandolfo and her instructor off course as they attempted to land after their July 26, 2013, jump. They crashed into a canopy of trees, where they hung by part of the opened parachute until rescuers arrived.
Gandolfo’s boyfriend, also jumping with an instructor, landed off course, on a fairway at the nearby Swan Lake golf course after winds blew them away from the landing zone.
In April 2011, a New York City man was injured when he landed incorrectly while participating with 15 others in a jump operated by Skydive Long Island, Riverhead police and company officials said at the time. Peter Hamilton, then 32, was treated for injuries at Stony Brook, officials said.
With Siobhan Barton, Joan Gralla, Mackenzie Issler and Ted Phillips
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