Skydiver Falls to Death: Ken Oka Found in Southern California

Memorial Day comes with sad news for skydivers across the United States. According to reports, a 62-year-old skydiver died after plummeting into a Southern California backyard.

UT San Diego cites a preliminary investigation report that finds a group of skydivers were trying a multiple person maneuver over Riverside County on Saturday when one of them became entangled in a parachute. He was unable to free himself as he fell to the ground. 

Police found him in the backyard of a Lake Elsinore home. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The man was identified as Ken Oka of Mira Loma.

The newspaper says police and the Federal Aviation Administration are conducting independent investigations.

He was a judge at the annual competitions, which awarded prizes to skydivers who could link up with other skydivers in the shortest time possible.

Fellow skydivers such as Craig Stapleton called Oka an "icon," and said that they will "miss him so much."

Stapleton said, "People should know that that guy absolutely loved the sport. He loved the diving; he loved all the people in it."

Stapleton also confessed that Oka's passion for the risky sport is dangerous, saying, "It's kind of extreme skydiving."

The skydiver's recent death drew much attention to the danger of other extreme sports, as snowmobiler Caleb Moore also died while participating in the ESPN's Winter X Games earlier this year in January.

Freestyle skier Sarah Burke also died last year while playing another risky sport.

Other than skydiving, skateboarding, bike racing, snowboarding, skiing, and snowmobiling are all popular extreme sports that have caused deaths in their participants.

Though fatalities due to skydiving may not be as high as you might think, it is still a dangerous sport, and all proper safety precautions should be considered. Check out what to follow, according to the United States Parachute Association, here.