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NEW: Funeral and Memorial Information Added Below
AMANDA BOHMAN
Reprinted with Permission, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Smokejumpers in Alaska and Idaho are temporarily suspending all parachute activities until investigators find out why a 28-year-old man's chute failed to open during training Saturday, Apr. 29.
The man, David J. Liston, of Girdwood and Rainbow Valley, whose name was released Sunday by the Bureau of Land Management, fell to his death at a training exercise on Fort Wainwright. Fellow smokejumpers came to his aid but to no avail.
"I wouldn't say it would be unusual to take such a step given the uncertainty of the nature of the malfunction," said Alaska Fire Service information officer Andy Williams.
A national investigating team is looking into the cause. Liston was among 68 smokejumpers in the state. The specially trained firefighters are the first to respond to remote fires by parachuting into the area.
Williams said he didn't know how long the ban would go on but that U.S. Forest Service smokejumpers, who use a different type of parachute, could jump into fires for the time being.
"There's nothing to stop smokejumpers from going on helicopters or taking ground transportation to fires," Williams said.
Liston, a smokejumper since 1998, came to Alaska from Oregon in 1995 to work with the fire service, said a BLM statement. His wife, Kristin, works for the fire service.
Official BLM Press Release
Smokejumper Identified in Fatal Accident
FORT WAINWRIGHT -- The Alaska Smokejumper who died after
a parachuting accident here Saturday was identified as
David J. Liston, 28.
Liston, a smokejumper with the BLM Alaska Fire Service
since 1998, was making a practice jump to prepare for the
fire season when his parachute failed to open. He was
treated at the scene by fellow smokejumpers trained as
emergency medical technicians and taken by ambulance to
Bassett Army Hospital. Attempts to resuscitate him were
unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
A national serious accident investigation team is en
route to AFS facilities at Fort Wainwright Sunday to
conduct an investigation. Further information about the
accident was unavailable pending arrival of the team.
Liston, a resident of Girdwood and Rainbow Valley during
the winter, was originally from Oregon. He first came to
work with the Alaska Fire Service in 1995 as a member of
the Midnight Sun Hot Shot Crew. He worked with the
Midnight Suns in 1995 and 1996, and was a squad boss with
the North Star Fire Crew in 1997. He rookied with the
Alaska Smokejumpers in 1998.
His wife, Kristin, also works with AFS. His mother and
stepfather live in Gladstone, Ore., and his father and
stepmother live in Bend, Ore.
"Wildland firefighters are a close-knit community, and we
are saddened by David's death," said AFS Manager Scott
Billing. "We have temporarily suspended all parachute
operations while the investigation is underway."
AMANDA BOHMAN
Reprinted with Permission, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Original Story, Sunday, Apr. 30
An Alaska Fire Service smokejumper died during a Fort Wainwright parachute training exercise about 5 p.m. Saturday, Apr. 29, said a fire service information officer.
The smokejumper's name could not be released pending family notification.
The man's parachute failed to open as he was parachuting over an area north of River Road at a common smokejumper training ground, said Andy Williams, a nine-year veteran information officer with the fire service.
Investigators do not yet know why the parachute failed.
Williams said fellow smokejumpers parachuting during the training exercise came to the person's aid--the firefighters are also trained in emergency medical care. An ambulance took the mortally wounded smokejumper to Bassett Army Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Williams, who was audibly shaken, said this is the first smokejumper fatality in Alaska since the 1970s.
The firefighter was one of 68 in the state.
Smokejumpers are the first to respond to remote fires. They fly there by plane and parachute to the fire.
More investigators, some from the Lower 48, are expected to travel to Fairbanks to investigate incident.
"We're going to try to find out what happened and go through every procedure to make sure something like this doesn't happen again," Williams said.
Funeral and Memorial Information
David Liston was born on April 17, 1972 in Portland, Ore.
He started working in Alaska in 1995 and rookied with the Alaska
Smokejumpers in 1998.
The David Liston Memorial Account has been set up at the Ft. Wainwright
Federal Credit Union.
You can send donations to:
- In Memory of David Liston
Ft. Wainwright Federal Credit Union
Attn: Tracy Jessen
P.O. Box 35025
Ft. Wainwright, AK 99703
Flowers and cards can be sent to,
- Kristin Liston
280 East Birch Hill Rd.
Fairbanks, AK 99712
- Alaska Smokejumpers
1513 Gaffney Rd.
Ft. Wianwright, AK 99703
There will be a two Memorial Services held,
- Wednesday May 3, 2000
4:30 p.m. at the Big Spot on Birch Hill
Ft. Wainwright, Alaska
- Saturday May 6, 2000
Camp Sherman, Allingham Gaurd Station
Natolieous River, near Sisters, Oregon
If you need any further information please contact the Alaska
Smokejumpers at (907) 356-5540 or 1-800-237-3658.
Related Links
Smokejumping in Two States Halted After Fatality