Two skydivers were killed Friday in a collision while jumping over the Southern California city of Lake Elsinore, officials said.
The two men, described as licensed and experienced, were at the end of their jump when they collided and their parachutes became tangled shortly before noon, according to Skydive Elsinore.
“Eyewitnesses report that the free fall portion of the jump proceeded normally and without incident, and that both skydivers opened their parachutes at the intended altitude,” Skydive Elsinore said in a statement. “As they prepared to land, the two skydivers collided approximately 150 feet above the ground.”
Riverside County firefighters said both men suffered traumatic injuries. They were taken to the hospital in critical condition and were later pronounced dead, Lt. Deirdre Vickers of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said by email.
The names of the paratroopers have been withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The collision occurred just over a half-mile from Skydive Elsinore. The cause was not immediately clear. The center said there was no indication that the paratroopers’ equipment malfunctioned.
Spokesman Josh Hall said the two skydivers, who were from out of town, were participating in the California Women’s Upright Record team, which was organizing a world record attempt for the number of women performing a standing dive.
The event was scheduled to run through Sunday, according to a published schedule. Organizers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Skydive Elsinore was hosting the event but not hosting it, Hall said.
“Skydive Elsinore extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends and loved ones of the two paratroopers, and mourns alongside all those affected,” he said in his statement.
The American Skydiving Association said 16 skydivers died in jumps in the United States last year, a number it called low compared to the sport’s most dangerous years in the 1970s. There were about 3.47 million jumps in 2025, its website said.
Lake Elsinore is about 75 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
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