ORANGE — The Northwestern District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday morning identified the man who died on Sunday afternoon following a skydiving accident at Jumptown Skydiving as Mani Chandra Teja Gaddam, a 28-year-old man from Boston.
According to Melissa Sippel, spokesperson for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, a preliminary investigation indicates that the man fell to the ground from a height of approximately 30 feet when a gust of wind interfered with his parachute. He was transported to Athol Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
A statement from Jumptown Skydiving echoes that “a sudden and unpredictable weather event appears to have caused the accident,” and adds that staff are “fully cooperating” with the authorities involved in the “thorough review” of the incident.
“Out of respect for the investigative process and those affected, we will not comment further while the review is ongoing,” the statement continues.
The incident remains under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section and the Orange Police Department. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred at our facility and extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of the skydiver involved,” the statement from Jumptown Skydiving reads. “The safety of our customers, staff and fellow skydivers remains our highest priority.”
This latest event comes less than a year after the death of Robert Szabo, 62, of Connecticut, in October 2025. Szabo died three days after he was injured in a midair collision with another experienced skydiver at Jumptown Skydiving.
