Posted on 11/12/2009 8:43:39 AM PST by Chet 99
MURRIETA -- Two people watched in horror as a 40-year-old skydiver fell to his death during a jump near Murrieta, according to authorities.
The man, from Boston, Massachusetts, landed on the driveway of a home in the 38000 block of Calle de Lobo near Avenida Arboles in the rural La Cresta area shortly around 4:50 p.m. Wednesday and was pronounced dead a short time later, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
Two witnesses were standing less than 100 feet away at the time of the fall, said Sgt. John Kaiser, of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
The man's parachute was open, however, it was not known if it had deployed properly, Kaiser said.
The man's name has not yet been released.
Officials say the man began his skydiving attempt at Skydive Elsinore, which is based at Skylark Airport in Lake Elsinore.
According to Los Angeles-based photographer Devon Steigerwald, a world-record wingsuit formation jump involving 68 skydivers took place at Skydive Elsinore earlier in the day.
Wingsuits -- also known as "birdman suits" or "squirrel suits" -- allow skydivers to glide during freefall.
John Hamilton, the owner of Skydive Elsinore, said the man was wearing a wingsuit and was doing a "fun jump" with four others at the end of the day.
It appeared the man hit the tail of the aircraft when jumping out, Hamilton said.
Others who jumped before and after him had no problems, according to Hamilton.
An investigation is underway.
I going out on a limb here and say that it didn't deploy properly.
Anvils.
It’s always those damn anvils.
Was he being chased by a Pit Bull?
Just kiding, just kiding.
Did a pit bull chew a hole in his parachute?
Hit a driveway - ouch. I wouldn’t want to be the folks who had to clean up that mess.
Don’t hit the tail of the airplane as you jump out...
Never skydive with a jump master named “Pancake” ... or ... If at first you don’t succeed so much for skydiving ....
I just don’t see sufficient cause to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. I briefly considered skydiving as a hobby in college until common sense kicked in.
When I first read that, my thought was driveway, garage door, side of lawn, grass in between properties and the side of the street.
My next thought was exactly what yours was.
What country did this happen in?
Friend of mine fell out of a CH-46 from 500 feet
he left an 18” deep crater in a roof, outline of his body, too
sort of like a cookie cutter impression
glad I wasn’t there.
Calle de Lobo near Avenida Arboles in the rural La Cresta area
Must be fun finding a skydiver in your driveway - who has to clean it up?
I don’t think the writer wanted to be accused of jumping to a conclusion.
I've jumped 4 times myself, and decided not to play the odds beyond that.
I am sure they wouldn't want to jump the gun on that pronouncement.
bump
bounce
It sounds as if he was an experienced sky diver. For some reason he hit the tail, and no doubt that screwed up his chute.
End of the day, maybe he was tired, got careless, and didn’t jump out of the plane properly.
I must admit, sky diving is not my idea of fun.
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