by Mindy Aguon, KUAM News Tuesday, August 10, 2004 Subscribe to Mindy's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

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Skydiving is an adventure for thrill-seekers worldwide. According to MSNBC, there is only one fatality for every 97,000 skydive jumps. On island, only one company gives daredevils the opportunity to take the leap. A tandem jump is when an experienced instructor is strapped to your back and only one parachute is used for the jump. Tandem Skydive Guam provides jumps from three different drop zones, the highest being 14,000 feet in the air.

While there have been no reports of skydive deaths on Guam in recent years, today the company and police have launched independent investigations to determine how one skydive jump went tragically wrong and resulted in the loss of two lives.

An exciting adventure for one Japanese tourist and a routine job for an experienced skydiver ended in tragedy this afternoon. Mangilao residents are used to watching skydivers floating in the air, landing at Eagle's Field along Route 10, but what they saw today was unbelievable.

Greg Mendiola explained, "I was standing and I was just looking up and all I saw was a twirl and I heard Lillian Taijeron said, 'The parachute didn't open'. The parachute didn't open and I ran into the office and called 911." We were moving some floaters. All I heard was a flapping of the parachute; I looked up and yelled out, 'Holy !' and that's all we saw. After that we came over and checked it out.

Mendiola, Taijeron and other Department of Agriculture employees rushed to find the two skydivers who fell from the sky. They found the two lifeless in the jungle area behind Lopez Apartments on Farfan Street.

That's where Mangilao resident Jackie San Nicolas sat and watched the two jumpers fall right before her eyes. She recalled, "We were mowing the lawn, doing some yard work. I noticed a chute coming straight down. It did not open. It was twirling in the sky with the wind and it dropped real quick. I ran over to see if they were okay."

San Nicolas ran across the street wanting to help, but with the sight of two mangled bodies and blood, she knew there wasn't much more she could do but call 911. "I think they were gone already. I kept saying, 'Hello, hello are you okay?', and there was no response. It looked pretty bad," she said. She described the conditions of the people by saying, "Their bodies were twisted on some rope and stuff. They looked all bent up and hurt. I don't even think they made it. I prayed to God that they were okay, but I don't think I could have done something to help them."

Conservation officers were the first to arrive on the scene, followed by a caravan of SWAT officers, rescue personnel, medics, and police officers. The jungle area behind the Lopez Apartments had to be chopped down as rescue officials pulled the two bodies out. Guam Police Department spokesperson Officer Art Paulino says police are conducting investigations into the two deaths. Additionally, he says Criminal Investigation Section agents are trying to determine if the casualties were accidental or if foul play may have been involved.

Medical examiner Dr. Aurelio Espinola stopped by for a preliminary review of the two individuals to determine the exact cause of death. Dr. Espinola told KUAM News he could not determine that from the scene today, however he will be conducting an autopsy on Wednesday morning.

Tandem Skydive Guam officials would not comment on-camera today about the incident. They are conducting an investigation though and notifying the next of kin of the two individuals. Their investigation would include trying to determine why the skydivers went off course and didn't land at Eagle Field, and instead, landed a mile down the street.

KUAM News contacted Tandem Skydive Guam legal counsel Attorney David Ledger, who said the company's owner is scheduled to arrive on Guam on Thursday or Friday from Australia. Ledger says a full investigation is underway that is independent of the police. The company's attorney confirms the tandem skydive operations will be closed for the remainder of the week. Operations are tentatively scheduled to resume next Monday.

He confirms that a male instructor passed away today, as well as a female Japanese tourist.