A professional US photographer has died after walking into a propeller on 26 October at Air Capital Drop Zone, a skydiving company in Derby, Kansas.
Amanda Gallagher, 37, a photographer and keen skydiver, was taking pictures of fellow skydivers at the airfield when she accidentally backed into the active propeller, according to US media reports.
In a statement obtained by E! News, Lieutenant Eric Slay said:
"Sedgwick County Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to a public accident at [Air Capital Drop Zone], that occurred on October 26th at approximately 2:40 p.m. “Amanda Gallagher made contact with a grounded and stationary, but still running plane, and received critical injuries."
It’s clear from Gallagher’s Instagram account that she was an experienced skydiver and regularly took photos from the air and on the ground in active airfields. A post dated September 29 2021 shows the first time she completed a skydive from over 18,000ft saying, "I can’t even describe how amazing this was."
Earlier this month she completed her first solo skydive. Gallagher leaves behind her partner of three years.
NBC News reports that Air Capital Drop Zone released a statement, saying that Gallagher was at the location to take photographs of the skydivers.
"After the airplane landed, for unknown reasons, as the next group of jumpers were boarding, she moved in front of the wing, a violation of basic safety procedures. With her camera up to shoot photos as she did so, she stepped back slightly moving toward and into the spinning propeller."
Martin Myrtle, the company's owner, said that Gallagher was beautiful "inside and out" and that her death had a "profound" impact on the Drop Zone community.
Cook Airfield where the company operates from also issued a statement on its Facebook page:
"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the young lady who died yesterday after a tragic accident with an airplane propeller on Cook Airfield. I wasn’t there when it happened, so I will not speculate on what could have or should have happened differently. Just please keep her family, her friends, and her Air Capital Drop Zone family in your prayers and thoughts."
A user on the airfield’s Facebook page wrote:
"How in the world does this even happen? ALWAYS, the airplane’s engines and propellers are to be off until crew and passengers are safely inside the plane. This is horrifying and was absolutely preventable."
Gallagher’s sister-in-law has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for her funeral. She writes:
"Amanda Gallagher was kind, adventurous, creative and beautiful inside and out. She was a loving daughter, sister, aunt and friend and will be greatly missed."
The page has currently raised $14,762, surpassing its target of $12,000.
