The co-owner of a Gatineau-based skydiving company said it appears there were problems with the way a parachute deployed on Wednesday during an accident that left an instructor and student seriously injured.

Staff at GoSkydiving said Carolyne Breton, 22, is recovering in hospital in Ottawa. She was conducting a tandem jump with a student, a 45-year-old man whose name has not been released. Both were rushed to hospital in Gatineau, and then to Ottawa, after the crash landing.

The co-owner of GoSkydiving, Daniel Sevigny, said it appears the pair’s two parachute system malfunctioned. He said the first parachute canopy was jettisoned from the duo and it appeared the second emergency parachute likely did not deploy right.

Sevigny was also part of the jump team Wednesday. He said although he didn’t see the whole jump with complete clarity as it happened below him, he saw that the emergency parachute was constantly turning as the pair continued to fall.

This description mirrors an rare issue called a “slow malfunction,” where the chute opens only partially and upsets the canopy required to safely land.

Sevigny said it’s too early to tell what exactly went wrong or the cause for the crash landing. He said there are many variables involved — such as the packing of the parachute — which could contribute to such a mishap.

This is the first incident the company has had. On Thursday, it appeared to be business as usual for GoSkydive.

Anxiously waiting to be suited up outside of the GoSkydiving office on Thursday, Nikki Bhatia said she and her boyfriend Akhil Sharma had “signed their life away,” and were ready to take the dive.

While mentally preparing himself to board the plane, Sharma said they still had the option not to jump once they’re 14,000 above the clouds.

When the duo learned about the accident on Wednesday, they were undeterred.

But the two leaped out of the plane when the time came — and said they’d do it again.

“You see the whole view,” said Bhatia, “it’s beautiful!”