A handful of local skydiving enthusiasts helped break a high-flying word record in Ottawa, Ill., Friday evening.
According to the United States Parachute Association (USPA), a grand total of 138 skydivers smashed the vertical skydiving world record by flying heads down in a special formation, holding hands as they floated in the air.
Judges from the Federation of Aeroautique Internationale certified that 138 skydivers successfully created the formation.
The USPA said it took the skydivers 15 attempts and three days to shatter the previous record, which was set at the same location in 2008 and included 108 skydivers.
The skydivers jumped out of six airplanes flying 19,000 feet above the ground. They had less than one minute to build the formation with all heads pointing toward the ground, while plummeting at speeds of 180 mph.
According to Nancy Koreen of the USPA, skydivers from all over America and the world traveled to Illinois to participate in this world record event, including San Diego-based skydivers.
Koreen told NBC 7 San Diego that a group that jumps out of Skydive San Diego and Skydive Elsinore was part of the organizing committee for the event, holding a number of participant tryout camps at Lake Elsinore leading up to the record-breaking attempt.
The record was part of Summerfest, a 10-day skydiving extravaganza boasting nearly 1,000 skydivers from around the world.
Copyright NBC 7 San Diego/ The Associated Press
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