Skydiver Killed During Jump in Lodi
Skydiver Killed During Jump in Lodi – A veteran skydiver lost her life on Sunday, October 14, 2018, during a jump at the Lodi Parachute Center when her parachute failed to correctly deploy.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Ian Gregor says the skydiver was using her own parachuting equipment when it malfunctioned. The FAA says it will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. Her identity has not been released pending family notification.
I would like to express my sincerest condolences to the family and friends who are mourning their loved one in this tragic accident.
Background on the Lodi Parachute Center
The Lodi Parachute Center has a long history of deaths, and Sunday’s tragic fatality is one of the latest connected to the center. Since the facility opened in the early 1980s, at least 20 people were killed jumping from planes that took off from this Lodi center. Six of those deaths were between 2016 and 2018.
Earlier this year, federal agents served a search warrant at the skydiving center but FBI officials did not release any details on that operation.
Tragic Deaths
Two deaths connected to the Lodi Parachute Center led to a federal investigation and new legislation. In August 2016, a 25-year-old skydiving instructor and an 18-year-old Los Banos man were both killed in a tandem jump when their parachute malfunctioned and didn’t open.
The Los Banos man, identified as Tyler Turner, had graduated with honors from high school just two months earlier and was planning to attend UC Merced in the fall to study biomedical engineering. It was his first time jumping, and he was with several friends celebrating a birthday. He got on the plane and never made it back alive. An investigation into that fatal accident revealed that the skydiving instructor, Yong Kwon from South Korea, was not properly certified.
Tyler’s Law
After that tragic accident, 20 skydiving instructors were suspended, and 120 others were mandated to undergo more training while the United States Parachute Association (USPA) conducted a full investigation.
The accident also encouraged Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman, D-Stockton to introduce a bill in honor of the young man. The bill, known as “Tyler’s Law” would make it the operator’s responsibility to ensure that all instructors are certified and that all parachutes are adequately packed. It will also allow the victim’s family to sue the skydiving company if it doesn’t comply with the law.
How Safe is Skydiving?
Skydiving is dangerous, and participants can be killed while participating in the activity. It clearly states so in the waiver that participants are required to read and sign before jumping out of a plane. However, it hasn’t stopped millions of people from taking part in the risky sport. According to the United States Parachute Association, 3.5 million people in the country skydive every year.
Although fatal skydiving accidents are rare, they are not uncommon. The USPA reported that out of the millions of people who skydive every year, about a dozen are killed. Last year, 24 people were killed in skydiving accidents. In 2015, 21 people were killed, and 1,920 people suffered injuries that required medical attention. Skydiving injuries often happen when jumpers do something out of their skill level and land wrong on an ankle or trip over a hole on the ground while trying to land their parachute.
Watch YouTube Video: Is Skydiving Safe | Skydiving Accident Stats. This video discusses the chances of injury and death from skydiving and shares accident statistics.
Lodi Wrongful Death Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Lodi Wrongful Death Lawyer. Skydiving is an exhilarating sport but it is risky and sometimes can be fatal. If your loved one has been killed in a wrongful death accident, call me at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly and compassionate legal advice. If you’d prefer, you can reach me online on our website.
I am a California member of the Million Dollar Advocates, a group of exclusive trial attorneys in the country that have attained verdicts or settlements of over a million dollars for a client.
You can review our firm’s history by browsing through our past Verdicts and Settlements cases.
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