A skydiver who died after he likely collided with a friend in mid-air before landing on the 215 Freeway has been identified.
Pascal Pierre Petetin, 57, a resident of Punaauia, Tahiti, was jumping with two others from overseas via the Skydive Perris company on the afternoon of May 28.
A second skydiver in the incident was seriously injured and is now in unknown condition, while the third walked away uninjured.
Skydive Perris said all three divers “landed under good parachutes.”
“On Thursday, May 28th at approximately 2:30 p.m., a group of three friends, all very experienced skydivers from overseas, were jumping together while visiting Skydive Perris.
“Two were involved in a serious accident. All three landed under good parachutes,” they wrote on Facebook.
“A full investigation is being conducted,” the company wrote. “Skydive Perris offers its sincerest condolences to the individual’s family and politely asks for privacy as we mourn together as a community.”
Petetin was an avid skydiver, even showing off a picture of the Egyptian pyramids from above in a notable dive, according to his Facebook.
He worked at Tahiti-Faa’a International Airport according to his profile, the only international airport for French Polynesia.
Skydive Perris said on its website that it has been “serving the Los Angeles, San Diego, and Long Beach area for nearly 50 years.” The company said it facilitates “more than 100,000 skydives each year” and is “proud of our legacy of safety, professionalism, and service.”
Skydive Perris also describes its history with the film industry on its website, saying it has assisted with movies like Iron Man, Godzilla, Kingsman, and Point Break.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating the skydiving accident.
The company saw another accident in 2024 when a skydiving instructor and her tandem student were caught in a “dust devil,” a rotating column of air that kicks up dust, and spiraled to the earth.
