Two women have died following a skydiving accident in Lake Elsinore, California, while participating in preparations for an attempt to establish a new state record, authorities and a fellow skydiver have confirmed.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to the 20000 block of Cereal Street shortly before noon on Friday after receiving reports of an aviation-related emergency.
According to sheriff’s spokesperson Lt. Deirdre Vickers, officers arriving at the scene discovered two skydivers on the ground, where they were already receiving emergency medical attention.
The victims were subsequently transported to a hospital in critical condition but were later pronounced dead.
Chazi Rutz, a 46-year-old professional skydiver based in Arizona, told The Times that the deceased women were among a team preparing to break California’s record for the largest all-female formation performed in an upright skydiving position.
The formation, commonly known as a sit-fly, involves participants maintaining a seated body position while falling through the air.
Although Rutz chose not to disclose the identities of the victims, she described both women as skilled participants who had a strong enthusiasm for skydiving.
They were “outgoing, kind, fun women to be around,” Rutz said.
According to Rutz, the existing state record for the particular formation category stands at 12 participants. However, the team had been working towards surpassing that achievement by completing a formation involving 19 skydivers.
Friday’s training exercise involved the participants jumping from an aircraft and connecting with one another by holding hands during free fall.
Rutz explained that the initial 60 seconds of the jump proceeded without incident. However, the situation took a fatal turn shortly after the participants opened their parachutes.
She said the two women moved too close to one another, resulting in their deployed parachutes becoming entangled.
Reflecting on the tragedy, Rutz expressed grief over the loss, noting that the group had been united by their passion for the sport and their ambition to accomplish something significant.
“We were doing something we loved, working toward a common goal,” Rutz said. “We’re saddened by this accident … sometimes all you can do is just breathe.”
Vickers confirmed that investigators were still examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. She added that no additional information was immediately available.
The latest fatalities add to previous skydiving-related incidents reported in California’s Riverside County.
In March 2023, a woman undergoing solo skydiving training in Lake Elsinore became caught in live electrical wires after her parachute carried her into overhead power lines. Firefighters from the Riverside County Fire Department successfully rescued her, and she escaped without sustaining injuries.
Another fatal incident occurred in May, when a skydiving accident in Perris claimed one person’s life and left another injured.
