November 7, 2026, 2:41 p.m. ET
Two experienced skydivers died after colliding mid-air during a jump in Southern California, causing their parachutes to become entangled as they prepared to land.
The collision occurred Friday, November 6, at Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore, California, during an organized skydiving event. The two licensed skydivers were part of a group of 20 experienced jumpers who descended from a plane at about 12,500 feet, Skydive Elsinore general manager and co-owner Josh Hall told the Orange County Register.
The free-fall portion of the jump was “normal and uneventful,” and both skydivers deployed their parachutes as planned, the company said in a statement.
But as the two men prepared to land, they collided about 150 feet above the ground, according to Skydive Elsinore. Their parachutes became entangled and both were seriously injured when they hit the ground, the company said.
Both men were taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where they were later pronounced dead, Riverside County Sheriff’s Lt. Deirdre Vickers confirmed to USA TODAY.
What happened in the skydiving accident?
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies responded around 11:47 a.m. Friday to the 20000 block of Cereal Street in Lake Elsinore following reports of an aircraft emergency, Vickers said.
When police arrived, they found the two skydivers on the ground receiving medical treatment.
Both suffered serious injuries and were transported by ambulance for further treatment, Cal Fire and Riverside County firefighters said.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office later identified the skydivers as Georgia Jean, 56, of South Dakota, and Levi Pimentel, 29, of Illinois.
What caused the parachutists to collide?
Investigators determined that the two skydivers collided in mid-air, causing their parachutes to become entangled before they fell to the ground, the sheriff’s office said.
Skydive Elsinore said there was no indication of equipment malfunction. The company did not provide additional details about the causes of the collision.
The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified and will retrieve the skydivers’ parachutes for further investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.
The investigation is continuing and authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances of the collision.
Both skydivers were experienced, licensed jumpers who had come from out of town to participate in an organized skydiving event, the company said.
Skydive Elsinore said it was cooperating with authorities investigating the incident and offered its condolences to the families, friends and relatives of the victims.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or on X @athompsonUSAT.
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