Man Killed in Parachute Tragedy : Thousands at Fair See Parachutist Die, 3 Injured on a Windy Holiday

Thousands of county fair spectators watched Thursday as five parachutists taking part in an accuracy demonstration were blown helplessly off course by stiff coastal winds. Four divers landed in the ocean off Del Mar, where one, a 35-year-old North County man, was killed--apparently after cutting loose from his chute 80 feet above the water, authorities said.

It was an isolated tragedy on a Fourth of July holiday most San Diegans spent either basking at the beach or back-yard pools, grilling hot dogs and burgers, looking skyward at a host of local fireworks displays, or waiting in traffic to reach their favorite vantage point.

And some residents, police dispatchers say, threw pyrotechnic parties of their own. Authorities throughout the county--ever eyeful of the risk of flash fires due to mishandled fireworks--were kept busy confiscating illegal devices from adult and children alike.

For most of the day, a persistent coastal cloud cover kept most people from fully relishing in the annual holiday that signals the advent of summer. San Diego lifeguards reported that more than 126,000 sun lovers flocked to city beaches. But most were kept out of the water by chilly ocean temperatures and iron-gray skies.

“It wasn’t exactly the July 4th of your dreams,” said Ron Hazlewood, a San Diego city lifeguard. “That beach number is low for the holiday. But we also only had 25 rescues, which is about a third of a regular day’s work on this day. People might have gone to the beach, they just stayed out of the water.”

At the Del Mar Fair, a flyover demonstration went awry about 3 p.m. when five parachutists missed their mark, blown off course by unpredictable winds, fair officials said.

In all, 54 divers jumped from two DC-3 aircraft, aiming at the center of the racetrack infield, said fair spokesman Ted Bear. Forty-nine of the chutists hit their mark, but five became disoriented by low clouds and changed their direction of landing.

“The clouds and the wind were different than what they thought,” Bear said. “Some people looked up and saw them pop through the clouds. They thought they were going to land on the beach.”

Grant Larson, community services director for the city of Del Mar, said his lifeguards spotted the five drifting toward the water. One woman landed on the beach and was not injured. “The rest were trying to make land but were dropping toward the ocean,” he said.

One of the four--identified late Thursday as 35-year-old Dave Levin of Oceanside--released himself from his chute approximately 80 feet above the water and fell into the water.

He was reportedly unconscious when reached by lifeguards, Larson said. “He was probably more than knocked out,” Larson said. “He wasn’t breathing when we got to him. He didn’t have a pulse.”

Lifeguards began administering CPR in the water and continued on the beach to no avail. The victim was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where he was later pronounced dead. The three other divers to reach the water were not seriously injured, authorities said.

Thursday’s holiday also marked the first day that San Diego police officers began ticketing violators of an alcohol ban at city beaches approved by the City Council last month.

For the past several weeks, police have simply issued warnings to people who violated the new restrictions, which extended an existing overnight ban at beaches by four hours and outlawed drinking at several parks and oceanfront boardwalks.

However, with signs detailing the new law now in place, police selected July 4--which typically brings huge crowds to beaches and parks--as the date to begin ticketing.

“They had to start sometime, and that’s probably a good time to see how effective this will be,” said Councilman Ron Roberts, who pushed hard for the tougher drinking restrictions.

Though some citations were issued Thursday, police, not wanting to appear heavy-handed, continued to issue warnings to out-of-towners or others unfamiliar with the new law.

Elsewhere, San Diego firefighters battled a brush fire in Mira Mesa, just east of Interstate 805 that clogged traffic in the area for several hours, authorities said.

More than 50 firemen battled the 10-acre blaze for more than four hours, said dispatcher Barbara Bouchard. She said the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Countywide, she said, authorities were watchful of amateur fireworks displays because of the danger of flash fires due to drought conditions throughout the region. “We just don’t need to fight any more wild land fires this summer,” she said. “The conditions are just so dangerous out there--perfect for some wayward cherry bomb to get things crackling.”

Technicians from the fire department’s bomb squad were kept busy Thursday retrieving the dangerous firecrackers, which are illegal in California, “unless you’ve got a license to set them off,” Bouchard said.

Hit-and-run fireworks fanatics were a problem in other areas of the county as well. “We can’t catch them,” said one El Cajon dispatcher. “You know how quick some of these people are. They set them off and then run inside. But we’re gaining on them.”

By the looks of it, one of the most likely things San Diego County residents did Thursday was wait in traffic. The Coronado Bridge was busy throughout the day as area residents flocked to a parade and fireworks display there.

“The heaviest traffic was, of course, at the beaches. And the Coronado Bridge was a parking lot,” said California Highway Patrol dispatcher Gary Kiger. “Anywhere there were fireworks, there was traffic.”

And while it was a relatively calm day for most police dispatchers countywide, the switchboard at the Escondido Police Department was lighting up like another American holiday icon--a Christmas tree.

“People are calling, calling and calling, asking about where our fireworks display is going to be,” said one dispatcher. “And I keep telling them, ‘Didn’t you look up into the sky last night? We set them off last night, on July 3rd, just like we always do.”

But then she had to run. Another caller wanting to know--where had all the fireworks gone?