Overchuting His Mark

A parachutist belonging to a clandestine clique of nighttime skydivers tried to land on Newport Beach’s soft sand just past midnight Thursday--and missed.

Keith Druse instead floated into the chilly Pacific.

City firefighters and lifeguards found the 25-year-old Corona man clinging to a piling near the tip of the Newport Pier and fished him out of the water.

“He was cold and scared,” said John Blauer, spokesman for the Newport Beach Fire Department.

“We think it was one of those ‘extreme’ things. . . . You know, like surfing big waves. It’s dangerous, but people do it.”

While such incidents are rare, officials expressed concern that Newport Beach may become a hot spot for the daredevils.

Druse jumped from a small plane flying just off shore. Two other parachutists managed to land on the beach and escape before police arrived.

Druse was not arrested or cited and, after warming up, he was released. He could not be reached for comment.

He told his rescuers he and the other jumpers are members of a secret parachuting club out of Riverside County, and that the plane took off from Corona Municipal Airport, Blauer said. The skydivers know each other only by code names and, when they land, scatter in different directions, he told authorities.

Residents reported a nighttime parachutist in the area two weeks ago, but the jumper was gone by the time rescuers arrived.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the Thursday incident, because the jumpers and pilot may have violated federal safety regulations.

FAA approval is required for skydiving in Newport Beach because the city is within the airspace of John Wayne Airport, said FAA spokesman Mitch Barker in Seattle. Parachutists at night also are required to wear a light that can be spotted three miles away.

“Potentially there are several FAA regulations that may have been violated,” Barker said. “We’re working with the local authorities.”

Whether Druse broke any city or state laws is unclear, said Lt. Doug Fletcher of the Newport Beach Police Department. A local ordinance makes the beach off limits after 10 p.m., so the parachutists who landed safely could be cited. Since Druse landed in the water, he might be in the clear.

“We’re still looking into it,” Fletcher said. “It’s not something that happens all the time.”