The California skydiver who was found dead on Sunday afternoon in San Diego County has been identified as the brother-in-law of NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the famed driver posted a formal statement on his website Monday expressing his family's deep sadness for the loss of 27-year-old Jordan Janway.
"Jordan was an incredible son, brother, uncle and friend," the statement read. "And will be dearly missed. Please keep the Janway family in your thoughts and prayers. The family asks for privacy at this time."
Law enforcement officials in the Southern California city of Jamul were sent to search for Janway, a skydiving instructor who went missing at about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. According to Skydive San Diego owner Buzz Fink, Janway worked on staff as a trainer, and was teaching a group of people on John Nichol's Field at the time of the incident.
Janway was reportedly practicing a maneuver called "tracking" when he suddenly bumped the leg or knee of a diving partner. Janway then plummeted into the ground close to Otay Lakes, just outside of Jamel.
Medical officials declared the 27-year-old dead at the scene.
Fink said he wagered Janway might have sustained wounds that stopped him from properly deploying his parachute.
The other person wasn't wounded and managed to land in a designated drop area.
Fink said Janway was a seasoned trainer who had jumped at least 1,000 times before.
"We do well over 100,000 jumps a year, and we pride ourselves on our safety and everything we do as far as our equipment, our airplanes," the owner told NBC. "However, it is skydiving and things can happen and generally, you do everything [you] can to prevent it."
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