18-Year-Old Skydiver’s Parachute Didn’t Open on Jump With Uncertified Instructor

Tyler Turner was excited to go skydiving, and could be seen fighting back nerves in 2016 before heading into the air. The 18-year-old’s mom, Francine, was there to see him off, but tragically, the parachute never opened. Tyler plummeted 13,000 feet to his death, attached to his tandem instructor, who was not certified. Since the 1980s, the skydiving company in Lodi, California, has been linked to 20 other deaths. Now a judge has awarded Tyler’s family $40M in damages.