Gwinnett Skydiving Coach Killed In Freak Accident (ICYMI)

MONROE, GA — A longtime skydiving instructor from Gwinnett County was killed Saturday while conducting a dive at Monroe-Walton County Airport.

Joseph "Joe" Bennett, 49, was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died, around 2:40 p.m., Walton County authorities say.

Bennett's friend and boss, Bill Scott, told WSB-TV that Bennett misjudged his approach and started preparing for landing too late.

Scott is the owner of Skydive Monroe at the airport, where Bennett worked. According to Scott, Bennett had skydived for the past 20 years and had done more than 6,000 jumps.

To the station, he described the accident that took Bennett's life as "very rare."

Friends have set up an online fundraising campaign to help pay for Bennett's funeral. The drive, on fundraising site GoFundMe, had raised about $4,000 toward a $25,000 goal as of Monday morning.

"His loss cuts deep and if we, his sky-family and friends, can ease some of the financial hardship for his wife, then we should do what we can," wrote Nicole Moon Shaw, of Jefferson, who started the campaign. "He would do the same for each and every one of us."

Friends of Bennett's lowered a flag at the airport to half-staff and went skydiving in his honor on Sunday.

Photo via GoFundMe