Two skydivers killed in midair collision over Lake Elsinore, California

Two skydivers were killed in Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, California, on Friday (November 6) after colliding in midair and falling to the ground. Both were pronounced dead at hospital.

What happened

According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded at about 11:47 a.m. local time to the 20000 block of Cereal Street, where a skydiving centre is located, after a report of an air emergency. Deputies and firefighters found the two skydivers receiving medical aid on the ground. Both were taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar in critical condition and were later pronounced dead.

Witnesses at the scene said the two jumpers struck each other about 50 feet (around 15 metres) above the ground. At that low altitude, there was virtually no margin for either jumper to deploy a reserve parachute or recover. Strong winds were reported in the area, and video from the scene showed gusty conditions, but officials said it was not yet known whether wind contributed to the accident.

Investigation under way

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office is handling the initial inquiry, and the cause of the accident has not been determined. The Federal Aviation Administration will collect the parachutes for investigation; it was not immediately confirmed whether the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate.

November 7 update: victims identified as two licensed, experienced skydivers

The Riverside County coroner's office confirmed on Saturday that the two people killed were Levi Pimentel, 29, of Aurora, Illinois, and Georgia Jean, 56, of Box Elder, South Dakota. Both were licensed skydivers: Pimentel was a lead instructor at iFLY Naperville, an indoor skydiving company, and Jean had completed more than 1,700 jumps. Authorities said the pair were training with the California Women's Upright Record team, attempting a 19-way women's upright formation record; the current record stands at 12. The Associated Press, citing authorities, said the two collided about 150 feet above the ground, their parachutes becoming entangled as they prepared to land. Skydive Elsinore said the free fall and parachute openings were normal and there was no indication of equipment failure; the Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and will collect the parachutes for investigation.

(Image: ABC7, still from on-scene video.)