The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the death of a skydiving instructor after he became separated from his student during a jump in Nashville, Tennessee.
Police say instructor Justin Fuller is presumed to have fallen from the sky without a parachute during the jump on Saturday.
Fuller, 35, appeared to have separated from his client and a tandem rig, which connects the pair during a jump and includes the parachute.
A police helicopter found Fuller's body in a wooded area hours later. The Nashville Fire Department used several ladders to reach the 46-year-old client who survived the fall after being trapped on a tree for hours with the emergency parachute.
Police reported that three other dives, which took place near Nashville's John C Tune airport, were successfully completed prior to the fatal fall. The plane from which they jumped also landed safely.
It is unclear how Mr. Fuller, an experienced skydiver, became separated from the safety equipment.
A man who helped fire crews in the rescue told local television station WSMV that the client who authorities rescued said it was his first jump, and it was going to be his last.
Mr. Fuller had recently expressed his passion for teaching others how to skydive in social media posts, describing it as the most rewarding job at the drop zone. He recalled the emotional experience of watching students during their first jumps.
This tragic event has left a profound impact on the skydiving community, as they remember an instructor dedicated to sharing his love for the sport.
