Answer :
Let x be the distance of each descent.
Then:
[tex]-64.5+x+x=-21.4[/tex]Solving the equation:
[tex]-64.5+2x=-21.4[/tex]Adding 64.5 to both sides and then dividing the sides by 2:
[tex]\begin{gathered} -64.5+2x+64.5=-21.4+64.5 \\ 2x=43.1 \\ \frac{2x}{2}=\frac{43.1}{2} \\ x=21.55 \end{gathered}[/tex]So, after the first descent, the distance is:
[tex]\begin{gathered} -64.5+21.55 \\ -42.95 \end{gathered}[/tex]Answer: - 42.95 feet.