An 104-year-old woman who recently broke the Guinness World Record of being the oldest person to tandem skydive died just days later. Dorothy Hoffner had her eyes on topping the record, which was set in 2022 by an 103-year-old in Sweden. Dorothy first started skydiving on her birthday when she turned 100 years old, and the thrill of it must have left her wanting more. "I love skydiving," she shared in an interview with Good Morning America. "The first time I did it, I thought, I had to do it again."
Once she hit 104, she had the desire to become certified as the oldest person to tandem skydive in the world. "I think if you have the opportunity to go, go and enjoy it," she shared.
Dorothy completed a 13,500-foot tandem jump at Skydive Chicago on Sunday in Ottawa, Illinois. She flew with a US Parachute Association tandem instructor. "It's really a wonderful feeling, you know, to see the Earth under you. So pretty," she shared. "I couldn't understand why all those people were there," she said of the onlookers who cheered when she landed. "As I say, all I did was get old … older."
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She died on Monday evening, just days after setting a new record. A spokesperson for Skydive Chicago and US Parachute Association shared the news of her death and also said they were honored that her skydiving experience served as a cap to her “exciting, well-lived life.” The statement read: “Skydiving is an activity that many of us safely tuck away in our bucket lists. But Dorothy reminds us that it’s never too late to take the thrill of a lifetime.”
