Posted on 08/05/2024 5:03:08 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Devrey LaRiccia Chase, 28, and her student were descending toward the ground during a routine jump in Perris last Tuesday when they ran into a pair of “dust devils,” Devrey’s husband, Freddy Chase, told KTLA 5 News.... At that point, she was about 25 to 30 feet in the air… It sent her canopy in a downward spiral.”
With no time to react, Devrey and her student slammed into the ground. Both were rushed to a local hospital, where Devrey succumbed to her injuries.
“She was beautiful in the sport and in her passion for skydiving,” Freddy recalled. “It was what she talked about every day. She loved doing what she did.”
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
Here in New Mexico dust devils are no joke. I got hit by one while riding a relatively heavy motorcycle, and I was lucky to stay upright. One other time I saw one loft a 45 gallon plastic trash can 60 feet. One upended a wooden shed at a ranch where I worked.
My rotorcraft solo began with a dust devil as I was awaiting clearance for takeoff.
A sad ending to some very risky recreation. That’s not meant as a criticism. I would love to drop from a (Tandem-guided) parachute, but most such schools understandably have a weight limit. I believe the weight limit for men is 220lb.
My boat has long since sailed past that point of 220lb.
Sometimes, I’m in the mood for a little danger.
Wow, what are the odds of coming down into a dust devil?
Darn my dyslexia, that’s a dirt devil not a dust devil.
Those dust devils toss kids playing in those inflatable castles and such way up into the air and kill many more kids than one would expect. Those things are dangerous especially if there is any wind at all. A five year old got killed in Maryland and a 2 year old got killed in Arizona recently.
Sometimes I think I wouldn’t mind trying another parachute jump, but I’ve never wanted to do the tandem thing. In any case, I’m certain that no jump center would let a 69-year-old man jump solo whose last time was 45 years ago. Probably just as well, since I’d bet that even a really good landing would do some damage these days.
Did you ever also think how crazy it was that Lou Gehrig died of Lou Gehrig’s disease? I mean, come on man, what are those odds?
Satan tried to take my soul one night.
I chased him off by hitting him with my vacuum cleaner. Was I Dyson with the devil?
I used to blame my dyslexia for things that didn’t go quite right. I realize now that has been incorrect.
I will now blame your dyslexia.
You aren't kidding. About two weeks ago, a guy sitting on his motorcycle behind my wife at a traffic light was knocked off his bike by one of them. A second guy in a car right behind him jumped out to help him pick it up. My wife said the motorcyclist looked stunned.
I was going to comment on my skydiving experience at the skydiving center in Aurora Oregon, which had some of the most deaths and injuries of any skydive organization. But your dyslexia distracted me.
Not if it’s a female instructor, I suppose, but it’s just that I’d have a hard time trusting my life to anyone. If I go splat, I’d rather it was because I screwed up.
Weather forecast is for continuing gravity!
No mention of global warming, or climate change?
I did a lot of training at Perris, including skysurfing. The dust devils could be quite bad. It wasn’t the best wind conditions for jumping. I still have a touchy knee from catching an updraft on a landing in 2000. Being over 40, it was a good time to retire. I lost an number of acquaintances from that dz. It’s like the adage- there’s old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots. Blue skies, black death.
I used to go to the skydiving place in Sheridan, OR, way back when. I don’t think they’re still there.
No serious incidents during that time, though I remember a guy who used to like to open his chute as low as possible. One day I was able to see the individual fingers on his outstretched hand as he pulled the ripcord with the other. He had to have been well under 300 feet. I was sure that I was about to see a fatality, but the parachute opened with about two seconds to spare. The staff met him as he landed and told him not to come back. Maybe he went to Aurora after that.
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