Another Skydiver Killed at the Embattled Lodi Skydiving Center
Yet another death has occurred at the controversial Lodi Skydiving Center, which has now experienced its ninth death since 2016.
The victim was a “very experienced” skydiver whose parachute became entangled on Saturday during a jump. The woman did not survive after falling to the ground at a high rate of speed. The victim’s identity was not released.
“What was reported to us from someone who witnessed the [incident]… was that the chute failed to fully open as she was coming down and it was heavily tangled around her,” the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office said.
The FAA is currently investigating the incident, but can only look into the rigging of the parachute.
The death comes just a month after a monumental $40 million lawsuit was won by the family of of 18-year-old Tyler Turner, who died at the center in 2016. The lawsuit specifically targeted owner Bill Dause with the purpose of seeing the self proclaimed skydiving legend move on from the skydiving business.
“We are hoping this will allow us to get this place closed or be sold to a responsible owner who can operate it safely,†said the Turner family attorney Paul Van Der Walde.
The organization has been accused of lax training and has seen 22 recorded deaths since opening in 1981. Five skydivers who have learned to skydive at the school have died in the past three years. Authorities have investigated all of the incidents and found no violations.
There was also the incident of the plane crashing near the facility full of 17 skydivers and one pilot, none of which received life-threatening injuries. Here is a video of the plane crash: