Authorities in California have identified the two victims of a parachute accident that took place in Riverside County last week.
Kayla Kieko Black, 28, succumbed to her injuries on Saturday, one day after she and her instructor, 28-year-old Devrey LaRiccia Chase, were hit by twin dust devils while parachuting at around 40 feet above the ground.
Chase’s husband said she was on her last dive of the day when she noticed the first dust tornado and managed to avoid it along with her student, only to be caught in a second that sent them spiraling to the ground.
Chase died shortly later at the hospital. Black, a restaurant server, died the following day.
“She had many regulars that loved her, and she was already touching lives at Benihana, as she had an infectious personality,” Black’s father said.
“She loved to venture out and try different activities, such as skydiving…this tragic accident was her second.”
A fundraiser for Chase’s family revealed that she moved to California from Maine eight years ago.
“Her passion for adventure led her to the exhilarating world of parachuting. She found immense joy in the freedom of the skies, cherishing each moment she spent soaring above the earth.”
“Unfortunately, it was this very passion that led to the accident that claimed her life.”
