California Skydiving School at Center of $40M Lawsuit Reportedly Linked to 20 Other Deaths

By Inside Edition Staff

Updated: 12:19 PM PDT, March 31, 2021

Tyler Turner died skydiving in 2016 after his parachute never opened.

The California skydiving school where a 18-year-old died in 2016 is reportedly linked to 20 other deaths since the 1980s. Skydivers Guild Inc.’s owner Bill Dause was ordered to pay $40 million to the family of Tyler Turner, who died skydiving after his parachute never opened.

His tandem instructor, who was not certified, was also killed. Haunting video shows Turner minutes before heading into the air. His mom Francine was there to see him off.

“I saw the ambulances and sheriffs and police, fire engines — all that stuff was in the distance. We could see all the lights going on, and I thought, oh my gosh, my son is hurt. We gotta get him to the hospital,” Francine told Inside Edition.

Turner was about to start college with a full scholarship to study biomedical engineering.

“He was an amazing kid. He was definitely the most well behaved out of all of us. He tried the hardest in school, for sure. He just really enjoyed life all around,” his brother Todd said.

The family’s attorney, Paul Van Der Walde, says this wasn’t a normal skydive operation.

“It wasn't run like a commercial enterprise. It was more run like a bunch of people out for fun on the weekend and they happened to be skydivers,” Van Der Wale said.

“It is satisfying knowing we were able to do something. We were able to get some justice for our son,” Francine said.

The family plans to use money from the lawsuit to start a scholarship to honor of Turner, who was a straight-A student.