A skydiving instructor caught in a short-lived whirlwind was killed Friday after crashing into a field in Southern California.
A student on a tandem skydive with his instructor was hospitalized with serious injuries after the reported accident in Perris, a city in Riverside County, authorities confirmed.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, which responded to the scene, identified the skydiving instructor who died as Devrey LaRiccia, 28, of Menifee.
According to sheriff’s officials, around 2:30 p.m., deputies were dispatched to Perris skydivingone of the “largest, most modern and highly respected launch zones in the world,” according to the company’s website.
The company is located in an area known for skydiving about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 80 miles north of San Diego.
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Two skydiving victims taken to hospital
At the scene, deputies located two people with serious injuries in an open field, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.
Both victims were taken to a hospital where, according to the coroner’s report, LaRiccia died.
The student skydiver was not identified by authorities and her condition was not immediately known Wednesday.
USA TODAY reached out to the sheriff’s office and Skydive Perris.
Sheriff’s officials said no foul play is suspected in the case and have notified the Federal Aviation Administration, which they say is leading the investigation.
USA TODAY contacted the FAA.
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‘Your last jump of the day’
According to her partner of five years, Freddy ChaseLaRiccia worked for Skydive Perris and went to work “happy as ever” the day she died.
Chase, who lives in Perris and met LaRiccia while skydiving, told USA TODAY LaRiccia and her student were tandem skydiving on their last jump of the day when they collided with a “dust devil” causing them to fall to the ground.
“There was no malfunction, there was no plane incident, she was turning her canopy to land safely on the grass like she has done hundreds of times,” said Chase, 32. ‘dust devils’ small tornadoes that are dangerous in sport.”
What are dust devils?
Dust devils are “a common wind phenomenon” that occur around the world, according to the National Weather Service.
The rapidly rotating wind is filled with dust created by strong surface heating and is generally smaller and less intense than a tornado, the NWS said. They have an average height of about 500 to 1,000 feet and usually last only a few minutes before dissipating.
‘An uncontrolled spin on the ground’
At about 40 feet, Chase said, she managed to avoid a dust devil, “but caught a second one.”
“With the dust devils going through the grass, they become invisible because you can’t see any dust in the direction they’re going,” Chase said. “This caused his canopy to spin uncontrollably on the ground.”
Chase said his partner was “unconscious but breathing” after the fall, before being taken to hospital.
“She passed away when I got to the hospital,” Chase said.
‘You were too perfect for this world’
In honor of her in InstagramChase wrote “Devrey Jane Lariccia… my ride or die, my everything… You were too perfect for this world.”
“Having to say goodbye to you for now will forever be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
A fundraiser created by the family to help with LaRiccia’s funeral expenses raised almost US$60 thousand from Wednesday.
“Our family was overwhelmed by words of love and support from those who knew Devrey and those who knew her in passing,” Marcelline LaRiccia of Maine, who created the fundraiser, wrote on the page. “We are doing the best we can with each passing moment. Blue skies and flying high.”
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Skydiving teacher Devrey LaRiccia killed after jump in Southern California
