A helicopter parachute jump killed a female paratrooper during a training session on Monday, according to the Army Times.
Specialist Abigail Jenks, 21, was killed after performing a static-line parachute jump from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, officials from the 82nd Airborne Division said on Wednesday. Captain Brian Norman, Jenk’s battery commander, described the paratrooper as a “creative, hardworking, and confident Paratrooper” in a statement provided to the Army Times.
Jenks, who was a fire-support specialist, died during the training at Sicily Drop Zone in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
There is an ongoing investigation lead by the Army Combat Readiness Center from Rucker, Alabama, into the causes of the accident.
“Her love for art, animals and her friends reverberated wherever she worked,” he said. “Her compassion for fellow Paratroopers will be truly missed.”
82nd Airborne paratrooper killed in training jump was artist, forward observer https://t.co/d8lgZUVuHt via @CDicksteinDC
— Chad (@chadgarland) April 21, 2021
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Walsh, Jenk’s regiment commander, said she was a “dedicated Paratrooper, gifted forward observer, loyal friend, and talented artist who consistently made a tremendous impact on all around her” in a statement provided to the Army Times.(RELATED: Man Plunges To Death After Parachute Fails To Open)
“She will be dearly missed,” he said. “We are ensuring every resource is available to her family and peers to help them during this difficult time.”
