1 person killed, second injured in skydiving accident

One person is dead and a second is seriously hurt in a skydiving accident in the city of Maricopa.

A young woman, who has now been identified as 26-year-old Geriann Henderson, was killed during a tandem jump on Saturday morning, according to Pinal County Sheriff's Office.

She was pronounced dead on scene according to officials.

Henderson's instructor, 47-year-old Todd Anthony Dimauro, suffered two broken legs in the mishap and had to be flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital. He is expected to survive his injuries, according to officials.

The deadly skydiving accident happened at Skydive Phoenix near Bowlin and Hidden Valley Roads, according to Pinal County deputies.

Sheriff Paul Babeu said in a statement that, "Mr Dimauro is a very experienced jump instructor and it looks like all of the safety measures were in place. Witnesses reported that both parachutes deployed, but something went terribly wrong just before hitting the ground."

Skydive Phoenix released a statement shortly after news broke about the fatal accident:

"Skydive Phoenix had an accident today involving a tandem student conducting her second jump of the Accelerated Skydiving Program. Preliminary reports indicate that the main parachute was not deployed.. followed by proper procedures and deployment of the reserve parachute. The reserve parachute was open and flying properly.. But upon landing they encountered turbulence ...possibly a dust devil turning the parachute into the ground at the last second.. The FAA USPA and local authorities have been notified.. and are conducting an independent investigation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to student, instructor and their families. Please respect our privacy and allow the investigation to take its course."

The Pinal County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident along with the FAA.