Two skydivers die after midair collision in California

Two experienced skydivers died after colliding about 150 feet above the ground as they prepared to land in Southern California on Friday, officials said. Their parachutes became entangled, and both suffered critical injuries when they hit the ground.

The collision occurred during an organized skydiving event near Skydive Elsinore in Lake Elsinore. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said deputies responded to a report of an air emergency late Friday morning. The skydivers were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Both skydivers were licensed and had traveled from out of town for the event, Skydive Elsinore said. Their names were being withheld pending notification of their families, according to NBC News.

The jump had appeared normal until the skydivers approached the ground. “Eyewitnesses report that the freefall portion of the jump was normal and uneventful, and that both skydivers opened their parachutes at the expected altitude,” Skydive Elsinore said in a statement quoted by NBC News. “As they prepared to land, the two skydivers collided at approximately 150 feet above the ground.”

The company said the collision entangled their parachutes and that there was no evidence of an equipment malfunction. The Riverside County Fire Department described their injuries as traumatic, NBC News reported. The cause of the collision was not immediately clear.

According to NBC News, the collision happened a little more than half a mile from Skydive Elsinore. Company spokesperson Josh Hall told the outlet that the skydivers were participating in an event held by the California Women’s Upright Record team, which was organizing an attempt to set a world record for the number of women to perform a standing-stance dive. Skydive Elsinore hosted the event but did not organize it, Hall said.

The event was scheduled to run through Sunday, NBC News reported, citing a calendar posting. Its organizers did not immediately respond to the outlet’s request for comment.

“Skydive Elsinore extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of both skydivers, and is grieving alongside all those affected,” the company said.

The United States Parachute Association said 16 skydivers died in U.S. jumps last year, according to NBC News. The association reported an estimated 3.47 million jumps in 2025 and described the death toll as low compared with the sport’s most dangerous years in the 1970s.