Brazilian tech company CEO, 44, dies following mid-air collision while skydiving
Thomas Britis, 44, jumped out of a small airplane at the Boituva National Skydiving Center in Boituva, São Paulo, on Saturday when he was struck in the head by his friend's knee, police said.
Each of the skydivers' parachutes were deployed, but Britis lost control of his parachute and crashed in a field away from the landing area, the Boituva city hall said.
Britis was rushed to São Luis Hospital, where he died from the injuries he sustained.
'All safety measures required by national and international standards for skydiving have been strictly followed, and detailed analyses of the jumping conditions, equipment, and meteorological factors are also under investigation,' the Boituva government said in a statement.
Britis' friend, whose name has not been released, was taken to a private medical facility.
Authorities removed one helmet and two parachutes from the scene as part of an investigation.
The Forensic Medical Institute is awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine Britis' cause of death.
The Brazilian Parachuting Confederation said in a statement that Britis and his friend were performing a maneuver in which the parachutist uses the body to create lift and horizontal displacement.
Britis' cousin, Mayra Britis, told Brazilian news outlet G1 that she was on her way to a nail salon appointment when she received a phone call informing her of his death.
Britis had been skydiving since 2014 and shared the passion for the sport with his 26-year-old son, she said.
'He worked very hard, was very loving to his son, to his family,' Mayra said. 'He was so experienced, it was such a silly accident. No one ever imagined it would happen.'
Britis was the owner of a Voluy Telecom, a company that offered fiber-optics internet plans out of based Pouso Alegre, a city in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.
'He was so young, he was in the best phase of his life, doing something he loved so much,' Mayra said.
'Despite the distance, we were always close,' she added. 'Thomas was also best man at my wedding. There was no one who didn't love him.'
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