Skydiving Instructor, 28, Died After Getting Caught In Freak Weather Event

By Bill Galluccio

August 6, 2024

Skydiving photo. Tandem.
Photo: German-skydiver / iStock / Getty Images

A skydiving instructor was killed, and her student was seriously injured in a freak accident. Devrey LaRiccia Chase, 28, who worked as an instructor at Skydive Perris, was preparing to land after her final jump of the day last Friday (August 2) when she saw a dust devil forming in her path.

Dust devils are small tornadoes that form when there are clear skies and high temperatures. As the ground heats up, light winds can start to swirl, picking up dust and debris on the ground.

"There was no malfunction, there was no plane incident, she was turning her canopy on final to come land safely on the grass, like she has done hundreds of times," her husband, Freddy Chase, wrote in an Instagram story.

While Devrey managed to avoid the first dust devil, she got caught up in a second one, which twisted her parachute and sent her and her student spiraling out of control about 25 feet from the ground.

Devrey and her student were rushed to the hospital after slamming into the ground. She was pronounced dead, while her student remains in critical condition with severe injuries.

"She was beautiful in the sport and in her passion for skydiving," Freddy told KTLA. "It was what she talked about every day. She loved doing what she did."

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