Two experienced skydivers died Friday after colliding in midair during a jump in Southern California, causing their parachutes to become entangled as they prepared to land.
The collision happened Friday, Nov. 6, at Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore, California, during an organized skydiving event. The two licensed skydivers were part of a group of 20 experienced female jumpers who had exited an aircraft at approximately 12,500 feet, Skydive Elsinore general manager and co-owner Josh Hall told the Orange County Register.
As the pair prepared to land, they collided approximately 150 feet above the ground, according to Skydive Elsinore. Their parachutes became entangled, and both sustained critical injuries when they struck the ground. They were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where they were later pronounced dead, Riverside County Sheriff's Lt. Deirdre Vickers confirmed.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office later identified the skydivers as Georgia Jean, 56, of Box Elder, South Dakota, and Levi Pimentel, 29, of Aurora, Illinois. They had been taking part in an event organized by the California Women's Upright Record team, which was attempting a record for the most women flying together in a head-up, standing position.
Skydive Elsinore said the freefall portion of the jump and the opening of the parachutes were normal, and that there was no indication of equipment malfunction. The Federal Aviation Administration was notified and will collect the skydivers' parachutes for further investigation, according to the sheriff's office. The investigation remains ongoing.
