Famous Nitro Circus athlete Erik Roner passed away near Lake Tahoe Monday after a parachuting accident. He was 39 and leaves behind a wife and two children.
The tragedy unfolded at the opening ceremony of the 4th Annual Squaw Valley Institute Celebrity Golf Classic when Roner jumped as part of a parachute team.
Reports say he missed his drop zone target on descent and hit a large tree. Witnesses say Roner was suspended by his chute 25-30 feet off the ground for close to 40 minutes until emergency personnel arrived. Roner was then transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Roner was one of the world’s most renowned ski-BASE jumpers and has starred in MTV’s ‘Nitro Circus’ for several years.
Nitro Circus posted the following statement on social media:
Devastating news that loving husband, father and Nitro family member, Erik Roner, was today killed in a tragic parachuting accident. All our love and prayers are now with Annika, Oskar and Kasper Roner and the rest of the Roner family and friends.
We love you Erik and miss you already.
We will never forget you.
A memorial fund for Erik can be found here.
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports.
Photo: Getty Images
