California Skydiver Crash-Lands Into Power Lines; Gets Stuck Hanging For 40 Minutes

KEY POINTS

A woman flew into live power lines in California Monday while training to skydive
Firefighters rescued the student nearly 40 minutes after she was entangled in the lines
An investigation is ongoing, and the woman's training center vowed to release more information

A student skydiver in California found herself tangled in power lines for nearly 40 minutes earlier this week following her first-ever jump, according to reports.

The unnamed woman released her parachute at the right time and in a good location Monday, Los Angeles Times reported, citing Josh Hall, the general manager of Skydive Elsinore.

However, she "became confused and flew away from an open landing area and into power lines," the local skydiving center said in a statement.

While the student allegedly tried to miss a set of power lines, she accidentally flew into another set of live wires on Corydon Road, CBS News reported.

#CorydonIC [UPDATE]: Patient was extricated by an aerial ladder from the high tension lines. Patient was assessed and declined further medical treatment. Resources available shortly. pic.twitter.com/zzIRlp4Lfv
— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) March 27, 2023

Technicians from the Southern California Edison Company, the lines' operator, turned off electricity in the area, which allowed firefighters to start working on untangling the woman.

Responding firefighters were ultimately able to rescue the woman from the high-tension lines using an aerial ladder, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The woman was reportedly suspended in the air for 37 minutes.

"She was just up there chilling, which was surprising because that's pretty scary, you know," witness Jose Olea said.

The student was assessed after being rescued and declined further medical treatment, the fire department said.

"God saved her honestly. I'd say, with my luck, oh I'd be fried," Olea said.

No one was injured in the rescue, per the Los Angeles Times.

The woman was "very lucky she walked away basically without a scratch," according to Hall, who noted that what happened was "very rare."

The incident is still under investigation, according to Skydive Elsinore.

"[A]s further details become available, we will be happy to release that information," the company said, according to a report by NBC 4 News.

The student skydiver was part of Skydive Elsinore's Accelerated Free Fall program, which trains students to become certified to skydive without a tandem instructor.

in a similar story from January, a skydiver fell on the roof of a California home after his parachute failed to open completely.

The man suffered serious injuries following the incident, which happened in the city of Oceanside.