Army Ranger dies during parachute drill in Georgia

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The military is investigating the death of an Army Ranger who was found on the ground with parachute cords wrapped around his neck after a routine training jump in southeast Georgia.

Lt. Col. Brian DeSantis, a spokesman for the Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment, said Friday that military officials are trying to determine whether the soldier became entangled in the air or perhaps was knocked unconscious when he landed and then got wrapped in the cords.

He says it appears the soldier was dragged 350 feet along the ground as wind filled the parachute.

The death occurred Thursday at a training area on Fort Stewart, where Rangers from nearby Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah practice parachute jumps several times a year. The soldier's name was not immediately released.

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