By Sam Mauhay-Moore
SFGate
LAKE ELSINORE — Firefighters in Riverside County rescued a skydiver who had become entangled in live power lines after overshooting her landing Monday, officials confirmed.
The woman was completing her first skydiving attempt without a trainer present when she landed on the power lines, Battalion Chief Jeff Roberts of the Lake Elsinore Fire Department told SFGATE.
“She got kind of disoriented, she said, and turned the wrong direction and ended up getting caught on top of a live power pole with high-tension power lines, and she was hanging next to the transformer,” Roberts said.
After responding to a 911 call regarding the incident, firefighters contacted Southern California Edison to shut power off in the area and prevent the woman from being electrocuted, Roberts said. Crews then used an aerial ladder to assist her back down to safety. The operation took roughly one hour.
The skydiver did not sustain any injuries from the accident.
Roberts said his crews respond to skydiving incidents regularly. This is the second time in a year they have responded to incidents of a skydiver becoming stuck in power lines after miscalculating a landing.
The previous incident happened about a year ago and also did not result in any injuries. Roberts said that crews had to be more cautious with Monday’s rescue because the woman landed directly next to high-voltage lines, heightening her risk of electrocution.
Skydive Elsinore general manager Josh Hall told the Los Angeles Times that the skydiver was attempting her first solo jump as part of a training program and that something went awry when her parachute was released.
“From what it sounds like, she just got confused,” Hall told the LA Times. “She basically flew her parachute into an area where she shouldn’t.”
The company is investigating the incident, according to the LA Times.
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