Police have issued an appeal for information on a skydiving incident last month that left a 21-year-old TikTok influencer dead, but say her death is not being treated as suspicious.
Richmond Hill resident Tania Pardazi Moghaddam died on Aug. 27, police said. She was known as Tanya Pardazi by friends and on social media.
Emergency crews responded to the area of 10 Sideroad and Line 4 in Innisfil Ont., at around 5:40 p.m. for reports of a skydiving incident.
South Simcoe Police said Pardazi was critically injured after jumping from a plane that was being operated out of a local skydiving club. She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Police said an investigation is ongoing.
In a follow up to their appeal for information on Thursday, a spokesperson for South Simcoe Police clarified that the incident “is not considered suspicious.”
“We often issue multiple appeals in investigations as part of due diligence. We can never assume we reach everyone we may need to reach with one appeal,” the spokesperson added.
“There has been much discussion surrounding this incident on social media due to Tania’s high profile and we would like to hear directly from people if they have information that might assist the investigation.”
The spokesperson said this is a coroner’s investigation, which police are assisting with, and the coroner will “determine the classification.”
“The owner of the skydiving business is working closely with police and the coroner and is being very cooperative,” the spokesperson added.
Skydive Toronto previously issued a statement that said the victim was was a “recent addition” to the skydiving community.
“The skydiver released a quickly rotating main parachute at a low altitude without the time/altitude required for the reserve parachute to inflate,” the statement said.
“The jumper was a welcomed recent addition to the skydiving community and will be missed amongst the student’s new friends and fellow jumpers of Skydive Toronto Inc. The team at Skydive Toronto Inc has been profoundly affected by this accident as they have refined their student training program for over 50 years.”
The company said it was working with South Simcoe Police on their investigation.
Friends of Pardazi told Global News she was a “truly adventurous” person who will be missed.
“She was always in search of answers for the smallest and biggest problems in life, and she wouldn’t stop until she got them.”
Pardazi ran a successful Tiktok account alongside her studies at the University of Toronto, her friends said, and had been called a TikTok influencer.
Police are asking that anyone with information or video footage that can help the investigation contact Det. Const. Dan Raymond at 705-436-2141 ext. 1027 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
— With files from Isaac Callan
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