A 35-year-old skydiving instructor died Saturday after becoming separated from a tandem student during a jump outside Nashville, with the Federal Aviation Administration investigating the fatal accident.
Metro Nashville Police found the instructor’s body in a clearing off Ashland City Highway. The instructor became separated from the tandem rig with the student and is presumed to have fallen without a parachute.
Three other skydivers who jumped moments earlier landed safely, as did the aircraft at Tune Airport. The skydivers were with Go Skydive Nashville, which is cooperating with the FAA investigation.
The student paired with the fallen instructor was rescued earlier Saturday after becoming stranded in a wooded area approximately 2-3 miles from the road. The Nashville Fire Department responded to reports of a parachute jumper in distress.
Firefighters freed the skydiver from his harness and lowered him using a ladder and pulley system. The department shared rescue photos on social media.
The skydiver was stranded for hours but remained awake and alert during the rescue. He was transported to a hospital as a precaution.
A local resident with climbing gear assisted first responders with the rescue. “I’m used to being up high; it was just another day for me,” he stated. “Just glad that he got down safe. (The skydiving student) just said it was his first jump, and it was going to be his last.”
The incident raises questions about tandem skydiving safety protocols and what circumstances could lead to separation between instructor and student during descent. Tandem jumps typically involve the instructor and student physically connected throughout the jump and parachute deployment.
The FAA investigation will examine equipment, procedures, and circumstances leading to the separation and fatal outcome.
