MTV athlete Erik Roner dies in skydiving accident
LOS ANGELES — Extreme sports athlete Erik Roner, who appeared regularly on MTV’s “Nitro Circus,” died in a skydiving accident Monday morning, Placer County Sheriff’s Deputies confirm. He was 39.
Roner was conducting a skydiving performance at an Olympic County, Calif., resort golf event when the accident happened, according to authorities. During the performance, he was caught in a tree while trying to land, becoming entangled high above the ground.
Rescue personnel were able to remove Roner from the tree, but pronounced dead from his injuries at the scene. All other skydivers landed safely.
The investigation is continuing and the FAA has been notified.
Sports network Outside Television, for which Roner hosted TV show “Locals,” issued a statement on Roner’s death Monday afternoon: “There are no words that can express this tremendous loss to the Outside Television family. Erik was not only a colleague, but also a personal friend, and it was a joy to watch him celebrate life on a daily basis. We are still trying to process this tragedy,” said Rob Faris, senior VP, programming and production at Outside Television. “Our hearts go out to his family.” Outside Television will air “Locals” for four hours Tuesday night in honor of Ronor.
An active member of the extreme sports community, Roner was a frequent part of MTV’s “Nitro Circus,” which followed an “active sports collective” headed by Travis Pastrana. The show lasted two seasons and spawned a tour, a second TV series based on said tour and a 3D film.
Roner was raised in Northern California and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in graphic design before setting his sights on making a mark in the ski industry, according to his website.
Roner has been featured in a number of ski films and earned sponsorships from Hurley, Rockstar, Klint, DNA and Backcountry.com
Roner is survived by his wife and two children.