Skydiver dies after tangling with another jumper

One man died and another suffered severe injuries in a skydiving accident in Britain.

Patrick Sandeman plummeted about 15m to his death after his parachute became tangled with another just as he was about to land.

The other skydiver, a Frenchman, broke his legs and suffered a damaged spine in the accident.

Paramedics tried to save Mr Sandeman but he died at the scene.

Friends and colleagues told the Daily Mail newspaper that Mr Sandeman, a father of three and well-known wine merchant, , south was a hugely respected figure in the wine industry.

Well-known wine-critic and friend, Jancis Robinson told the newspaper: "I am not alone in having found Patrick one of the most appealing and entertaining characters in the wine business.

"Great company, in a word - and extremely talented in his ability to hand-pick great wines. A very bright light has been extinguished."

Another friend and editor of Decanter magazine, Guy Woodward, said Mr Sandeman was considered one of Britain’s leading wine merchants.

He wrote on Twitter: "Truly terrible news about the death of Patrick Sandeman in a tragic skydiving accident. A great guy and a fantastic wine merchant."

Parachuting coach Jon Dundee said both men were very experienced jumpers.

He said two men leapt separately from the plane and crashed near to the ground.

"As far as I know it had been a normal jump, but parts of their parachute got tangled. The type of parachute they were using had to have air passing underneath to stay inflated.

"It means you have to keep moving all the time or the canopy caves in.

"They were moving when the parachutes hit each other and collapsed and they fell to the ground."