Ivan McGuire, a 35-year-old seasoned skydiver with over 800 jumps to his name, tragically fell to his death in April 1988 at the Franklin County Sports Parachute Center in the U.S. after a devastating mistake—he forgot to wear his parachute. McGuire had been filming a student and instructor's dive, capturing the haunting moment of his own fatal fall as his camera continued recording.

Despite being highly experienced, McGuire's tragic error occurred on his third jump of the day. Unaware of the fatal oversight, he leaped from the plane with only his camera gear. The footage he filmed in his final moments shows him reaching for a parachute release that wasn't there, followed by his heart-stopping final words: "Oh my god, no!" His body was found about a mile and a half from the airfield.

Captain Ralph Brown, who reviewed the footage, noted that McGuire appeared to instinctively reach for his parachute handle but found nothing. The incident led to an investigation into why McGuire wasn’t stopped before jumping without a parachute. It was later determined that neither the pilot nor anyone else had realized McGuire boarded the plane without his parachute. His camera gear, weighing a similar amount to the parachute, may have contributed to the confusion.

The accident was ruled as a case of human error, with no suspicion of foul play or suicide. This tragic incident remains a stark reminder of the small but critical oversights that can lead to fatal consequences, even for the most experienced skydivers.

In a separate, more recent incident in 2022, a skydiving grandparent tragically died during a pre-game ceremony at a Tennessee high school football game, highlighting that the risks associated with the sport still persist today.