104-year-old Dorothy Hoffner, oldest tandem skydiver, has died

104-year-old Dorothy Hoffner, oldest tandem skydiver, has died

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Many are mourning the loss of the Chicago-area woman who was the oldest person to skydive.

The 104-year-old Chicago woman who went skydiving last week, hoping to become the oldest to do it, has died.

Dorothy Hoffner was born and raised in Chicago.

This photo provided by Daniel Wilsey shows Dorothy Hoffner, 104, falling through the air with tandem jumper Derek Baxter as she becomes the oldest person in the world to skydive, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Ill. (Daniel Wilsey via AP) Daniel Wilsey / AP

"We are deeply saddened by Dorothy's passing and feel honored to have been a part of making her world-record skydive a reality," according to Skydive Chicago.

Hoffner ditched her walker and jumped out of a plane last weekend, falling at a speed of 120 mph before landing amid a crowd of cheering supporters.

"Skydiving is an activity that many of us safely tucked away in our bucket lists. But Dorothy reminds us that it's never too late to take the thrill of a lifetime. We are forever grateful that skydiving was a part of her exciting, well-lived life. Her legacy is even more remarkable because of the attention the world gave to her inspiring story," said Skydive Chicago in a statement.

Skydive Chicago is working with the Guinness Book of World Records to have her feat certified as the oldest person in the world to tandem skydive. 

Hoffner said the experience was "wonderful."

It wasn't her first jump. She also went skydiving at age 100.

Hoffner would have turned 105 in December. Hoffner said she also wanted to ride in a hot air balloon.

What’s the secret to a long and happy life? Dorothy Hoffner spills the tea that we all can totally relate to. 🤣...

Posted by Skydive Chicago on Friday, October 6, 2023
Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.