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Skydiver Crashes Near Crowd at Folsom Pro Rodeo

Video shows the performer’s large American flag snag on a tree and force a hard landing that exposed the rodeo’s tight landing zone risks.

Overview

  • Multiple videos circulated after the opening ceremony on July 3 show a parachutist carrying a weighted U.S. flag appear to snag the flag on a tree and crash face-first near spectators and into a tent.
  • Rodeo organizers identified the jumper as Ross and said he walked into the arena after the landing and suffered only a small cut above his lip.
  • Officials reported no other injuries and announced the performer was scheduled to jump again the same evening, with attendees giving a standing ovation when he returned.
  • News outlets compared the footage to earlier landing videos to show how small the stadium’s designated landing area is and how wind or a snag can push a skydiver off course.
  • The Folsom Pro Rodeo is a long-running, PRCA-sanctioned event in its 65th year that has used a flag-bearing parachute entrance for years, and the crash raises questions about equipment safety and crowd proximity though no formal procedural changes have been reported.