Newly-Released Video Shows 18-Year-Old Previewing Jump Before Skydiving Death
LODI (CBS13) — For the first time we are seeing the heartbreaking video an 18-year-old recorded just minutes before his deadly skydiving jump at the Lodi Parachute Center in 2016.
The video was released by his family's attorney after a $40 million judgment against the owner of the Lodi skydiving business.
The video shows Tyler Turner in an exchange with a man holding the camera.
Turner: "My name is Tyler Turner."
Camera operator: "What are you doing here?"
Turner: "I am going to jump out of a plane."
Camera operator: "Maybe it's a little bit scary?"
Turner: '"A little bit scary. I am. When I get up there it's going to be like oh gosh, adrenaline is going to kick in and I'm just gonna let it happen."
Tyler Turner's pre-skydive video also includes an eerie exchange — his own brief questioning whether he would "make it."
Camera operator: "Who is it?"
Turner: "That's my Mom over there. Very loving Mom. Done a lot for me in my life. Hope she'll help me with more in my life, cause I want to make it! We're gonna make it."
Turner died when his parachute did not open up in the 2016 jump. An investigation revealed the tandem instructor Turner was paired up with, who also died, was not properly certified.
The owner of the parachute business, Bill Dause, declined a request for an interview Wednesday. He spoke to reporters the day of the deadly jump.
"It's an unfortunate situation, but if you see a car wreck they don't close the freeway, it's something that unfortunately in this sport, in skiing, in scuba diving, there are fatalities," Dause said in 2016.
Paul Van Der Walde is the attorney for the Turner family. He argued Dause would have known his instructor was not certified "had he exercised even the slightest degree of care."
A judge issued a ruling in the deadly skydiving case, awarding $40 million to the Turner family. The judge also ruled Dause can now be held personally responsible for the payment, no matter the name on the front of the parachute business.
"What Bill Dause does, is once one of his corporations becomes liable, or runs out of money, has a debt, he stops using it, [and] creates another one," Van Adele Walde said.
A teen's skydiving death and a family's legal fight. Trying to prevent another tragedy like it.
Turner's death is not the only one over the years at the Lodi Parachute Center. There have been 20 deaths at this drop zone since the 1980s.
The attorney for the Turner family says he hopes that this judgment will force Dause to sell to someone they say will run it responsibly.