Skydiving Accident Claims Lives in Southern California

Two seasoned skydivers lost their lives on Friday when their parachutes tangled during a planned dive in Southern California. Georgia Jean, 56, from Box Elder, South Dakota, and Levi Pimentel, 29, from Aurora, Illinois, were participating in the skydive at Skydive Elsinore, about 75 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

The incident occurred around noon. Approximately 150 feet above the ground, the two collided midair. According to Skydive Elsinore, the initial freefall and parachute deployment proceeded normally before the collision.

“The collision caused their parachutes to become entangled, and both sustained critical injuries when they reached the ground,” Skydive Elsinore stated.

The Riverside County Fire Department reported on social media that both skydivers suffered traumatic injuries and were transported by ambulance to a hospital. Tragically, they were pronounced dead upon arrival.

Pimentel, a lead skydiving instructor at iFLY Naperville in Illinois, and Jean, who had completed over 1,700 jumps, were well-known in the skydiving community. Their deaths are a significant loss.

The Federal Aviation Administration is currently investigating the incident.