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Skydiver Plunges 50 Feet To The Ground After Wind Deflates Parachute

PERRIS (CBS/KNX 1070) — Authorities say a gust of wind deflated a man's parachute during his Friday afternoon descent at the Perris Valley Skydiving facility, sending him plunging about 50 feet to the ground.

KNX 1070 Newsradio's Brian Ping reports that firefighters arrived to find him responsive, but with major injuries.

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He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

Skydiving mishaps are rare, but this one comes on the heels of a pair of accidents last month at one of the area's top skydiving venues, which left three experienced divers dead and another critically injured.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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