Two experienced female skydivers were killed in a devastating mid-air collision in Southern California after their parachutes became tangled just 150 feet above the ground, turning what had been a routine jump into a deadly tragedy.
The accident happened Friday, November 6, at Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore, about 75 miles southeast of Los Angeles, as a group of approximately 20 women participated in an organized skydiving event.
According to Skydive Elsinore general manager and co-owner Josh Hall, the women had jumped from an aircraft at approximately 12,500 feet. Both victims were licensed, experienced skydivers who had traveled from out of town for the event.
Everything initially appeared to be going according to plan. Witnesses reported that the freefall portion of the jump was uneventful, and both women successfully deployed their parachutes at the expected altitude.
But as they approached the landing area, disaster struck.
The two skydivers collided approximately 150 feet above the ground, causing their open parachutes to become entangled. With so little altitude remaining, both women fell to the ground and suffered critical injuries.
Emergency crews from the Riverside County Fire Department responded shortly before noon to the area near Cereal Street, where the injured women were receiving medical attention.
Both were rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital in critical condition, but doctors were unable to save them. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office later confirmed that both women had died.
The tragedy was particularly heartbreaking because the participants had gathered to pursue an ambitious skydiving achievement. Fellow skydiver Chazi Rutz told the Los Angeles Times that the group was training to break California’s record for the largest women’s upright skydiving formation.
The maneuver involves multiple skydivers joining together in freefall while maintaining an upright, seated-like body position. The group reportedly hoped to complete a 19-person formation, surpassing the existing 12-person record.
Rutz described the victims as experienced jumpers who were passionate about the sport and remembered them as kind, outgoing women.
“We were doing something we loved, working toward a common goal,” she told the newspaper, expressing grief over the sudden loss.
Skydive Elsinore said there was no indication that either parachute had malfunctioned. The company is cooperating with authorities as investigators work to determine exactly how the collision occurred.
The victims’ identities had not been publicly released as of Saturday, pending notification of their families.
In a statement, Skydive Elsinore extended its deepest condolences to the women’s families, friends and loved ones, adding that the entire skydiving community was grieving alongside them.
The deaths come just months after another deadly skydiving accident in Riverside County. In May, one person was killed and another injured following an apparent mid-air collision near Perris, California.
Authorities have not announced a final determination of what caused Friday’s collision. The investigation remains ongoing.
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