Jeff Dean, 45, of Fitzroy Harbor died at Arnprior Airport on Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement, Parachute Ottawa said Dean’s parachute deployed properly during the jump.
“The parachute was fully operational and functioning properly,” Parachute Ottawa said Thursday morning. “There were fatal injuries during the landing procedure after an advanced parachute maneuver.”
The Ontario Provincial Police are investigating and the Ontario Ministry of Labor has been notified.
Parachute Ottawa says Dean was a very experienced skydiver with more than 4,000 dives.
“Jeff Dean is a beloved member of the Parachute Ottawa family and a leader in the Canadian Parachute community,” the company said. “As a mentor to hundreds of skydivers across the community our community is shocked by this loss. The Canadian skydiving community collectively mourns the loss of our friend and fellow jumper who was a positive light to all.”
Dean was a husband and father of two. He joined the Ottawa Fire Department as a volunteer in 2010 and became a full-time member of the service in 2012. Dean was located at Station 12 on Fifth Avenue in the Glebe.
“Jeff passed away doing something he loved, skydiving,” Ottawa Fire Chief Paul Hutt said in a message sent to the Ottawa Fire Department.
“He was an amazing man, firefighter and head of our Fire Ventures program. The news of his passing is difficult for the entire fire service family.”
Ottawa firefighter Jeff Dean was killed in a parachute incident at Arnprior Airport on Wednesday. Dean was chair of the Ottawa Fire Ventures program committee.
Skydive Ratings Canada released a statement on Dean’s death, calling him “an icon in our sport.”
“Jeff was not just a skydiver, he was much more than that, he was a friend to many, starting out as a professional trader, engineer then legal aid and pilot. He was an avid climber, motorcycle enthusiast, mountain biker and a staple of the Ottawa community ,” said a statement from Dan and the SRC Team.
“He was a firefighter, firefighter instructor and leader for a youth program called Fire Ventures that allowed young members of our community to gain experience in the art of firefighting. This man was a true hero in our community!”
Skydive Ratings Canada’s statement says Dean met his wife skydiving and his two daughters all have experience in body flying.
Parachute Ottawa says it is working with the Ontario Provincial Police on its investigation.
The Department of Labor says Dean was self-employed, operating under the name “Skydive Ratings Canada.”
An inspector was at the scene on Wednesday and the investigation is ongoing.
With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Natalie van Rooy
