Pilot Michael Truffer dies of injuries suffered in skydiving accident: DeLand Municipal Airport (KDED), Florida

A DeLand skydiver who broke his neck during a jump last month has died, a hospital said Friday.

Michael Truffer, a longtime advocate of the sport, died Thursday at about 3:44 p.m., a nursing supervisor said. Truffer, known as Mike, was 63.

He also broke his pelvis and other bones when his parachute snapped open too quickly on May 25 at the DeLand Municipal Airport and he fell against a parked truck, a friend said.

Truffer, who published Skydiving Magazine for many years before retiring in 2009, skydived competitively as part of a team and won an award in 2006 from the U.S. Parachute Association. He was jumping at Skydive DeLand with friends when the accident happened.

Truffer maintained a part-time business selling logbooks for skydivers and pilots and was a volunteer pilot for an animal-rescue group. He owned two small airplanes.

Source:   http://articles.orlandosentinel.com