New video shows Navy parachutist smacking into teen during San Francisco Fleet Week
SAN FRANCISCO - The family of a 17-year-old girl on Wednesday released video of the moment a Navy parachutist landed on top of her at the Marina Green during Fleet Week, and new revelations about her injuries were also made public.
She also identified herself by name for the first time.
The 23-second video clip, taken by Millicent "Mia" DeGuzman shows the seconds preceding the collision portraying the confusion as to where the parachutist was going to land. After the Navy parachutist lands on top of her, viewers can hear him asking: "Are you OK?"
The video cuts out before Mia answers.
"This was my first airshow and I had no idea I was in danger," Mia said in a statement provided by her newly hired attorney, Tanya Gomerman.
She said that she had immigrated to the United States two days before the show and was excited to explore the city with her family.
"Now I can’t move without their help and doctors say I may never be able to do the things I once could," her statement continued. "Beyond the physical pain, the emotional trauma is overwhelming—what was supposed to be a joyful start to a new life here has turned into a nightmare I relive every day."
After the collision on Oct. 14, authorities described Mia's injuries as minor. In a statement on Wednesday, the lawyers described the injuries as "serious."
Mia was taken to the hospital where she was treated for two fractures to her pelvis, her attorneys said.
The injury required surgery in which large screws were inserted to hold her damaged pelvis together, her lawyers said.
Additionally, Mia’s mother, Jhoanna was diagnosed with a concussion and had bruising in her upper arm, her lawyers said.
"There is no doubt that this is not what this parachutist or the Navy wanted to happen, but regrettably, a young woman was injured and was left with a mountain of medical bills," Gomerman said in a statement. "She faces a long, difficult recovery and is unable to handle even the most basic tasks without support from her family. It’s a tragic incident that raises questions about safety protocols and accountability at events involving such high-risk displays."
In a follow-up interview with KTVU, Gomerman said the video shows how quickly everything happened and how the person was coming straight for her client. They want a thorough investigation into what led to the crash. She said that's one of the reasons they released the video.
After the collision, the Navy issued a statement.
"Our thoughts are with the individual and their family. Safety is our number one priority. We cannot immediately assess what happened; however, we will review this incident to determine the cause," the U.S. Navy said.
KTVU reached out to the Navy for any additional comment about this latest video and the injuries the DeGuzman's suffered.
"The Navy is conducting several investigations into the incident and taking the necessary steps to ensure the highest levels of safety at future events. The Navy Parachute Team paused scheduled demonstrations to conduct this review of procedures."
The Navy said it cannot comment on those investigations or any pending litigation.
The parachutist didn't sustain any injuries, the Navy said. Video showed him walking away from the field.
It wasn't immediately made clear what caused the Navy parachutist to land outside the pre-planned area.
The family has not filed a lawsuit at this time, but they do want the Navy to pay for their mounting medical costs.
Gomerman said she wants the Navy to take steps to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. "This isn't something where they're hoping to file a lawsuit, and definitely not hoping to cancel these shows," said Gomerman. "They just want them to be safer in the future."
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