Two women skydivers died in Lake Elsinore after suffering traumatic injuries during a jump, authorities confirmed Friday.
The deadly midair collision happened around 11:45 a.m. in the airspace over Skydive Elsinore, a skydiving center on Cereal Street near Corydon Road, the Riverside County Fire Department said.
The experienced, licensed skydivers, whose identities had not been released as of Friday, collided in midair about 150 feet above the ground as they were preparing to land, according to Skydive Elsinore. Their parachutes became entangled, and both of them sustained major injuries when they reached the ground.
They were rushed by ground ambulance to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar and died at the hospital.
Both skydivers were visiting the area to participate in an organized skydiving event at the center, according to Skydive Elsinore. The department did not provide a description of either skydiver.
“Skydive Elsinore extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of both skydivers, and is grieving alongside all those affected,” a statement from the center read, in part.
The skydiving center says there is no indication of anything wrong with the equipment and that it is cooperating with local authorities.
Northeast winds were present throughout the day in the Inland Empire, with gusts of up to 20 mph around March Air Reserve Base, about 14 miles east of Lake Elsinore. It is unclear whether wind played a role in the incident.
How safe is skydiving?
Like any sport, skydiving carries inherent risks, but proper preparation and precautions can help reduce them.
“Many think that equipment failure causes most skydiving accidents, but the reality is that the vast majority are a result of simple human error,” the United States Parachute Association (USPA) says.
The USPA estimated there were 3.47 million jumps in 2025, resulting in 16 deaths, according to its website. The association described that figure as low compared with the sport’s deadliest years in the 1970s.