A skydiver was fatally injured today after his parachute malfunctioned during a jump near Dillingham Airfield.

Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city Emergency Services Department, said paramedics were sent to Dillingham Ranch at 12:26 p.m.
The skydiver was found in a lake or a pond on the ranch property.
Paramedics treated the man at the scene and transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cheplic said.
Frank Hinshaw, president of Skydive Hawaii, identified the man as U.S. Navy Seal Kenneth Owens of Aiea, age 27 or 28, originally from the mainland.
Owens was an experienced sport jumper making his third jump of the day when accident occurred, Hinshaw said.
He brought and packed his own parachute. Apparently his pilot chute (the one that deploys main chute) opened but the main chute did not, Hinshaw said.
Since Owens would have had to repack his chute after previous jumps, initial indications are he apparently “mis-routed the pilot bridle” in a manner that locked the container holding the main chute, Hinshaw said.
He landed in pond across from polo field and died.
Owens had made 87 jumps over the last year.
Owens took off in Cessna Caravan with other jumpers and when plane reached 13,000 feet, he jumped from the plane with three other skydivers who landed safely. He normally would have deployed his parachute 2,000 to 3,000 feet above the ground.
Hinshaw believes Owens is married and has a child. He said it was “just a normal day” with mostly clear conditions and trade winds of 10 to 15 mph. Business ceased operations for the day.
Even though Owens was an experienced skydiver with his own gear, “We still try to watch those people” when they pack their gear, Hinshaw said.
“We regret the loss of a Navy Seal with such great promise and appreciate his service, and we mourn with his family and friends,” he said.