Kansas sheriff confirms Wamego skydiving accident fatal

? A Solomon man is dead after hitting a tree when his open parachute couldn’t clear the branches.

The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office says in a news release that 67-year-old Paul Bender died Sunday afternoon after the accident south of the Wamego Airport.

Kansas State officials said Monday that Bender was trying to land when he tried to fly over a tree line. But his parachute couldn’t clear the trees and he fell about 20 feet, causing fatal internal injuries.

Bender was taken to a Topeka hospital, where he later died.

KMAN reports that Bender made more than 600 jumps with the Kansas State Parachute Club. Kansas State officials said that Bender was not affiliated with the university, but said Bender will be missed by club members.