Central Coast veterinarian killed in paragliding accident

March 3, 2015
Dr. Ron Faoro

Dr. Ron Faoro

A popular Santa Barbara veterinarian was killed Sunday afternoon while paragliding above Rattlesnake Canyon.

Dr. Ron Faoro, 60, was tandem paragliding with his 16-year-old daughter when he slipped out of his harness and fell about 1,000 feet to the ground below, according to the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department. Faoro, an experienced para glider, had forgotten to strap his legs in properly.

After Faoro fell, his daughter remained in the harness. The teen later hit the side of a mountain and then crashed into a tree. She was airlifted to a local hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

Faoro worked at St. Francis Pet Clinic in Santa Barbara. He was married with one child.


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Absolutely heartbreaking.


I’m saddened and praying for this devastated family. As a father I guarantee he was more worried for his darling daughter’s safety and made that one fateful error.


My thoughts exactly Stunned. A tragedy and I agree, he was focused on his daughters safety


I agree it is a terrible tragedy but if he was focused on his daughters safety he would have never strapped her into that thing in the first place.