Two Survive Multiple Person Skydive Maneuver, One Falls To Death

Three skydivers practiced a multiple person maneuver when something went wrong. Two skydivers landed safely in a residential neighborhood in Riverside County, California - one skydiver was missing. Due to a complication with his parachute, 62-year-old Ken Oka fell to his death.

The two skydivers landed in the yard of Alma Lopez, according to WebProNews. Lopez and the two skydivers searched for Oka but to no avail. They called 911 and began searching for their friend in the neighborhood.

Police found Oka in the backyard of a Lake Elsinore home, according to AP. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Oka became entangled in his parachute during a dive lead, which caused his fall.

According to WebProNews, Sgt. David Cardoza of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department stated that the FAA are conducting an independent investigation to uncover what caused the tragedy.

Oka is the second person to die in formation skydiving in Southern California this year, and the 18th person in the past 20 years, WebProNews reports.

Oka was featured in an LA Times article about skydiving. He was a competing member of the Lodi Crew and worked as a manufacturing engineer.

"The thought of danger, I guess, plays in there someplace, but that is nowhere near the top," Oka said in the article. "It's just fun with your friends up there, aligning the parachutes and being able to do this skill."

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