Dorothy Hoffner, the woman from Chicago who caught media attention for jumping out of a plane earlier this month, has reportedly passed away.
Hoffner set the record for being part of the oldest tandem skydive and went skydiving at Skydive Chicago last October 1 before passing away in her sleep at the Brookdale Lake View senior living community on Sunday night, October 8, the Associated Press reported.
It was a heartbreaking development, considering Hoffner had just bested the previous record credited to a 103-year-old Swedish woman who made the jump in 2022.
Dorothy Hoffner's feat has yet to be confirmed by Guinness. A video of the 104-year-old's jump was shared on YouTube by Reuters.
"Skydiving is a wonderful experience, and it's nothing to be afraid of. Just do it!" Hoffner said after the jump.
However, Hoffner's close friend Joe Conant says that the centenarian did not skydive to break any record. He explained that Hoffner had thoroughly enjoyed her first jump that she just wanted to do it again.
Skydive Chicago saddened by Hoffner's passing
Upon learning of the sudden passing of Hoffner, Skydive Chicago released a statement and pointed out that there were lessons learned about living from what the 104-year-old woman showed.
"We are deeply saddened by Dorothy's passing, and feel honored to have been part of making her world record skydive a reality," Skydive Chicago's statement started.
They added that Hoffner's story proves that it is never too late to try anything daring that only a few may consider attempting, ABC 7 reported.
"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," the group added.
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