Officials said three experienced skydivers were involved, and one landed without injuries.
PERRIS, CA — One skydiver was killed and another was critically injured Thursday afternoon after an apparent freefall collision near Skydive Perris in Riverside County, authorities and the skydiving center said.
Firefighters responded just before 2 p.m. May 28 to a rural area near the 600 block of East Ellis Avenue, close to the Perris Valley Airport and Skydive Perris. One person was pronounced dead at the scene. A second skydiver was taken to a hospital with critical injuries. A third parachutist landed without injuries.
The three skydivers were friends visiting from overseas, according to a statement from Skydive Perris manager Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld. The business said they were experienced jumpers who had completed hundreds of skydives. They were not on tandem jumps and were using their own equipment, the center said. “They were jumping their own equipment by themselves,” Skydive Perris said. The company said the early information pointed to a possible collision during freefall before the skydivers landed.
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies also responded to assist with the emergency. Officials found the deceased skydiver in a field on the east side of the 215 Freeway, while the injured skydiver was found on the west side of the freeway. Authorities have not released the names, ages or home countries of the skydivers. They also have not said what altitude the apparent collision happened at, whether the skydivers were part of a planned formation, or what role weather may have played.
Video from the scene showed investigators and emergency crews near dry brush and open land not far from the skydiving facility. Deputies were seen speaking with a person wearing a Skydive Perris shirt as the area was blocked off with police tape. The scene stretched across a wide rural area, reflecting how far parachutists can drift during a landing or emergency descent. Officials said the cause of the incident remained under investigation Thursday night.
Skydive Perris is one of the best-known skydiving centers in Southern California and operates near Perris Valley Airport. The site has drawn both first-time tandem customers and experienced jumpers. The latest incident follows other serious skydiving accidents in the Perris area, including a 2024 crash in which an instructor and student died after encountering a dust devil, a rotating column of hot air and dirt that can disrupt a parachute landing.
Skydiving deaths remain uncommon compared with the number of jumps made each year, according to industry figures, but accidents can draw close review because several agencies may be involved. Local fire crews handle rescue and medical response. Sheriff’s officials and coroner’s personnel handle death investigations. Aviation or parachuting organizations may review equipment, procedures and witness accounts when those details are available.
Brodsky-Chenfeld said Skydive Perris was cooperating with the investigation. “A full investigation is being conducted,” he said. “Our deepest sympathies go out to all loved ones and others who were affected.” The company said the skydivers’ parachutes were open before landing, but officials had not released a final finding on what caused the fatal injuries.
No arrests or allegations of foul play had been announced as of Friday. Investigators were expected to review witness accounts, skydiving equipment and the sequence of the jump. The Riverside County coroner’s office had not publicly identified the person who died.
Author note: Last updated May 30, 2026.