11/07/2026 04:03:00
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11/07 16:02 CST 2 licensed skydivers die in California after their parachutes
become entangled
2 licensed skydivers die in California after their parachutes become entangled
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (AP) --- Two experienced skydivers who were taking part
in an organized skydiving event in Southern California were killed after
colliding midair and plummeting to the ground.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office on Saturday identified the two who died
as Georgia Jean, 56, of Box Elder, South Dakota, and Levi Pimentel, 29, of
Aurora, Illinois.
Jean founded the company Circle Evolution, which "is the collaboration between
conscious channel Georgia Jean and the non-physical collective The Circle of
Light," according to the company's website. Jean said in a bio that she started
skydiving in 2015 and had more than 1,700 jumps.
Pimentel was listed on LinkedIn as a lead instructor at iFLY Naperville, an
indoor skydiving company.
The accident occurred at about noon Friday at Skydive Elsinore, the company
said in a statement, and both were licensed skydivers.
The Riverside County Fire Department said the two suffered traumatic injuries
and were taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
Skydive Elsinore said the free fall portion of the dive and the opening of the
parachutes were normal, but as they were preparing to land, the two skydivers
collided at approximately 150 feet (about 46 meters) above the ground.
"The collision caused their parachutes to become entangled, and both sustained
critical injuries when they reached the ground," Skydive Elsinore said in a
statement. They were pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Federal Aviation Administration was notified, the sheriff's office said. It
will collect the skydivers' parachutes and conduct an investigation.
The U.S. Parachute Association reports that in 2025, members made 3.47 million
skydives and there were 16 fatalities. The organization said 5.6% of members
reported suffering an injury that required medical treatment, with the most
common being ankle injuries during landings.
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