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 identities of the two people killed have not been released, pending notification of next of kin. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office is handling the initial inquiry, and the cause of the accident has not been determined. It was not immediately confirmed whether the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate.

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