Parachute mishap results in death

A 33-year-old skydiver who fell to his death in Carson Valley on Easter Sunday was a thrill-seeker with a big heart, according to the owner of a South Lake Tahoe television Station.

Wes Harberts was remembered as a happy person by Michael McKinney, owner of K-MTN TV.

"I never saw him unhappy," said McKinney on Monday. "He was always very positive."

McKinney said he didn't know particulars of the accident or what kind of parachute his friend was wearing, but he did know that Harberts was an experienced skydiver with more than 9,000 jumps under his belt and wouldn't want his death to discourage people from living life to the fullest.

"We've had a lot of people die this year from skiing, but is that going to stop people from skiing?" said McKinney. "You need to be serious and careful about what you're doing, but don't stop doing it."

Skydiving instructor Billy Sharman witnessed the accident, which occurred around 2 p.m. Sunday near Minden-Tahoe Airport.

"The parachute was open; it was just spinning after it was open," Sharman told the Nevada Appeal. "He wasn't able to correct before he hit the ground."

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office has not yet issued a report on the accident, but according to eyewitnesses, CPR was used on Harberts after the impact, but to no avail.

Harberts was co-owner of Skydiving Tahoe, a small skydiving company located at the Minden-Tahoe Airport. Harberts and co-owner Aja Niemann had attempted to locate in the Lake Tahoe basin for years but because of permit issues chose Carson Valley instead.

"I'm all over their Myspace page," said McKinney. "There is a picture with Wes and me in tandem. It was my first dive and a lot of fun. In fact, he almost got every single person from the station to go."

McKinney met Harberts two years ago when his TV station featured him on some of their programs.

"We became good friends," he said. "Our station sponsored a business expo and we had booths next to each other."

McKinney said when diving in tandem, strapped to another person, Harberts was nothing but conscious of the other person's safety, but less careful when diving alone.

"In a free dive, he would take it to the limits," said McKinney. "He had two new very fast parachutes that he was excited about."

McKinney said a memorial service is being planned, but a time and date has not yet been determined.

"I'll remember him with a big grin on his face," he said.