Erich Wagar

One of the good guys is how this jumper is being remembered. This is a daytime 2-way tower jump (940-feet) in foggy conditions. According to his friends, Erich is well known for his aerials and is fast earning recognition for his ability and friendly bearing. Here's a report from the other jumper on the load. We did a 2-way and we left stable and immediately began to track away from the tower. We planned for him to be the low man and he was to signal me to pull by reaching for his pilot chute and delaying one second. I deployed my canopy as soon as his hand moved toward his pilot chute. My canopy deployed normally and on heading. After I established that I had a good canopy I witnessed Erich with a partially open canopy impact the ground. The spot where he impacted was on a hill about thirty to fifty feet above the base of the tower and 250-ft horizontally away. I landed safely and immediately cutaway my canopy and ran toward him. I found him unconscious and unresponsive. I tried CPR but he did not respond. I then called 911 and emergency services were sent to the scene. The EMTs hooked him up to a monitor and there were no vital signs. I believe he was killed immediately on impact. Eric was one of my best friends and was a friend to many people around the world. Please think of his wife Gretchen and his son Max because they need our love. I will miss him and all that know him will as well. The world is a lesser place due to his passing. This is the third BASE fatality that is fog related.