Licensed skydivers die in California mid-air collision

LAKE ELSINORE, California (AP):

Two skydivers taking part in an organised skydiving event in California died after colliding in mid-air and plunging to the ground.

The accident occurred on Friday and involved two licensed, experienced skydivers participating in an event hosted by Skydive Elsinore, the company said in a statement.

The Riverside County Fire Department reported that both suffered traumatic injuries and were taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

According to Skydive Elsinore, the free-fall portion of the jump and the deployment of both parachutes were normal. However, as the pair prepared to land, they collided at approximately 150 feet (46 metres) above the ground.

“The collision caused their parachutes to become entangled, and both sustained critical injuries when they reached the ground,” Skydive Elsinore said in a statement.

The two were pronounced dead at the hospital.