Skydiver dies after freak weather event sent her crashing into the ground
A skydiver and a student have been killed after they spiralled out of control just 25 feet above ground.
Devrey LaRiccia Chase was instructing a pupil during a tandem skydive in California on Friday (August 2), when they encountered a phenomenon commonly known as a 'dust devil' while at the same height as a four-storey building.
They are relatively short-lived whirlwinds that range in sizes but are quite strong and well-formed - although they aren't enough to pose a threat to people and property, unless you are airborne.
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The small tornadoes are formed in areas of where the surface is hot in a concentrated area when there are no clouds in sight and a light breeze.
Her husband Freddy Chase, a well-known sky-diver and social media influencer, explained what had happened to LaRiccia during her final jump of the day - where she met two dust devils.
“She missed the first one, and when she maneuvered around it, she hit the second one,” 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.”
He added: “She was beautiful in the sport and in her passion for skydiving.
“It was what she talked about every day. She loved doing what she did.”
LaRiccia worked for Skydive Perris, located about an hour's drive to the southeast of Los Angeles.
The student whom LaRiccia was parachuting with has not been named, but the duo were rushed to hospital where they were pronounced dead by doctors.
Manager Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld issued then following statement: "Eyewitnesses report that the tandem pair experienced a normal free fall and parachute deployment.
"All aspects of the equipment and skydive was normal without any reported issues until the landing sequence.
"While preparing for landing, the tandem pair hit disturbed air known as a 'dust devil'. The interaction with this sudden disturbed air caused turbulence and a hard landing for both individuals."
A GoFundMe page has been set up by LaRiccia's family with the intent of raising money to bring her body back to Maine - where she left for west coast eight years ago.
Her family wrote: "We knew that Devrey was well-loved among the skydiving community, however, what we couldn't foresee was her impact across not only the US but overseas as well.
"Since creating this, our phone's have been buzzing non-stop with support and love for our angel."
Topics: California, GoFundMe, Los Angeles
Joe Yates