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Loved ones to celebrate life of skydiver who died in 'hard landing' accident

CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — A 33-year-old Charlotte woman who was killed in a skydiving accident in Chester County will be remembered Saturday for her love of adventure.

Family and friends will gather Saturday at 1 p.m. for a celebration of Amie Begg's life at James Funeral Home in Huntersville.

Begg was described as an experienced jumper who died after a "hard landing," according to emergency officials. Authorities told South Carolina bureau reporter Greg Suskin Begg had jumped several times before the accident, and more than 800 times in her life.

[ALSO READ: Florida man killed in skydiving accident in Chester County]

Begg was solo jumping with a group of people on Sunday afternoon when the accident happened.

Skydive Carolina said the parachute opened like it should and functioned properly, but officials said she was doing a specific type of advanced landing maneuver and others saw her chute get twisted.

Firefighter Ray Dotson was the first on the scene and he was the one who performed CPR on Begg. He said it is tough, but his only focus was trying to save her.

"Everybody copes with stuff like that different, but I had a job there," Dotson said. "My job was to try to render aid, hope for the best outcome."

Begg was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Begg's brother told Channel 9 his sister was an adrenaline junkie with a purpose. Begg was a woman who would find something she wanted to do and do it, but she also knew the importance of safety.

Channel 9 learned Begg was teaching a safety class at Skydive Carolina the day before she died.

Her online blog, Adventure Amie, is about overcoming fear and depicted a clear image of her love for adventure.

"Adventure isn't a word, it' a lifestyle," she wrote.

She went whitewater kayaking, rock climbing and was the first woman to ride a bike 250 miles from base camp at Mount Everest alone.

Amie Begg (Source: adventureamie.com)

(Amie Begg)

In a blog entry from last month called "Till death do us part," Begg wrote about the risks of her lifestyle.

"I know that my zest for life comes with a grave cost, for some," she wrote.

Two years ago, she posted a video from Skydive Carolina where she took part in a record-breaking 16 woman jump.

Her passion was helping people overcome boundaries through outdoor adventures.

Skydive Carolina called her a positive light to all.

Ed Darby, with Chester County Emergency Management, said the business does a lot to promote safety and safe practices, but there is always a risk when you're jumping out of a plane.

Firefighters near Skydive Carolina train for skydiving accidents. They perform high-angle rescue training for situations when a skydiver comes down in a tree.

Sunday's death was the company's fourth tragic accident in five years. Last year, another woman died at Skydive Carolina in the middle of a worldwide event.

[ALSO READ: Officials identify 68-year-old skydiver who fell to her death in Chester Co.]

Officials said Carolyn Clay, 68, safely let out her main parachute but had some sort of malfunction. Bond Springer, 32, from Florida died in 2016 during a sky show.

Pete Langehans, 65, from Columbia was killed in 2014 when his parachute malfunctioned.  All had years of experience skydiving.

Channel 9 has reported on several other deadly skydiving accidents at the company in 2017 and 2014.

Skydive Carolina sent Channel 9 the following statement:

On Sunday, July 14th at approximately 2:35 pm EST, a highly experienced skydiver, aged 33, with more than 800 skydives succumbed to fatal injuries sustained while performing an advanced landing maneuver at Skydive Carolina Parachute Center.

The skydiver deployed their parachute without incident. The parachute was fully functioning and working correctly. Fatal injuries were sustained during the landing process following an advanced parachute maneuver. The name of the deceased has not been released as family members are being contacted at this time.

The deceased is a valued member of the Skydive Carolina community. The Skydive Carolina community is in shock and mourns the loss of a fellow jumper who was a positive light to all.

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