Skydiving may seem dangerous (for pretty obvious reasons), but the numbers show the risk is actually pretty low. According to the United States Parachute Association, out of the estimated 3.9 million jumps in the U.S. each year, only 18 result in fatalities. The odds are in your favor, unless you head to the Lodi Parachute Center, which was home to Robert Pooley, the worst skydiving instructor in the world.


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Pooley has been a longtime skydiving instructor at the San Joaquin County skydiving site, despite having his certification as an instructor suspended in 2015. That didn’t stop the 49-year-old, as Pooley continued to train over 100 new diving instructors, charging over $1,000 for each training course.



One of his trainees was 25-year-old Yong Kwon, who led first-time skydiver Tyler Turner on a jump in 2016. Lack of proper training resulted in the death of both men. This isn’t the first time the Lodi Parachute Center’s negligence and disregard for safety has cost lives, as there have reportedly been an astounding 28 deaths since 1985.


Listen, there’s an inherent risk to voluntarily jumping out of a plane, and so, from time to time, somebody is going to die doing it. That’s just the way it is. But the rate of fatalities at this particular Bay Area skydiving center goes well beyond that harsh reality and points to serious issues that don’t appear to be getting addressed in any real way.


In 2021, Turner’s family was awarded a $40 million judgment against Lodi Parachute Center owner Bill Dause. And now, justice has come for Pooley as well.



This week, Pooley was sentenced to two years in prison for wire fraud related to tandem skydiving instructor courses. Though he hasn’t been charged in relation to the deaths of Kwon or Turner, this is a small victory that hopefully means Pooley’s skydiving career is over.


Despite being the most dangerous skydiving center in the known universe, the Lodi Parachute Center somehow remains open, and according to its website, you can have “the funnest, fastest and most complete experience in the country” for just $150.


Life has never been so cheap.