A 35-year-old skydiving instructor in Nashville, Justin Robert Fuller, reportedly died after falling off a plane without a parachute. A second skydiver, who fell with the instructor, survived.
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According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD), the incident occurred in the woods on Ashland City Highway on Saturday, October 4. Responding fire department personnel managed to rescue a skydiver who became lodged in a tree. He had an open parachute.
The Nashville Fire Department detailed that responders used ladders to reach the surviving parachute jumper. They freed him from his harness and used a pulley system to bring him down the ladder. He was described as awake, alert, and in stable condition after he had been suspended for hours. The skydiver was transported to a local hospital.
A witness present in the area, Ron Ulus, assisted the first responders, as he had climbing gear with him at the time.
“I’m used to being up high; it was just another day for me,” Ulust told WSMV. “Just glad that he got down safe. He just said it was his first jump, and it was going to be his last.”
Additionally, three other skydivers, who jumped before the instructor and the one who became lodged, landed safely. All of them jumped before the two fell.
Instructor Found Dead
The MNPD detailed that the skydiver “became separated at the plane from a tandem rig with an instructor.” Initially, the skydiving instructor was presumed to have fallen from the plane without a parachute, but authorities did not locate him at first.
However, in an update issued by MNPD, it was detailed that a police helicopter found the 35-year-old instructor in a wooded area clearing off Ahsland City Highway. He was found deceased.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
WSMV, citing the MNPD, identified the victim as Justin Robert Fuller, a 35-year-old from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Go Skydive Nashville, which coordinated the jump, shared a statement with the outlet, lamenting the “tragic loss of life.”
“Details of the incident are still being determined, and Go Skydive Nashville is cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation,” the statement read, in part.
“Go Skydive Nashville remains dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of training, safety, and professionalism. At this time, the team is focused on supporting those affected by this tragedy.”