A 35-year-old skydiving instructor was found dead in a wooded area near Nashville over the weekend after being presumed to have fallen without a parachute, and a student of his was rescued out of a tree, authorities said.
Officials added that the pair had become “separated … from a tandem rig” while on the airplane from which they were diving.
Nashville’s metro police department said on Saturday that first responders located and rescued the student who had become “lodged in a tree with an open parachute in the woods” in the 4500 block of Ashland City Highway.
The Nashville fire department said crews used a ladder and pulley system to rescue the student.
On Saturday, authorities said the student was “awake, alert & in stable condition after being suspended for hours”. They also said the student had been transported to a local hospital “as a precaution”.
Police said the student “became separated at the plane from a tandem rig with an instructor” – and the instructor was “presumed to have fallen from the sky without a parachute”.
At about 5pm local time on Saturday, officials said the instructor had not yet been found. But just before 7pm, authorities said that the instructor had been found “deceased in the clearing of a wooded area off Ashland City Highway”.
Police said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be investigating the incident. The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian.
Police also said “three other skydivers who jumped moments earlier landed safely” – said added the plane also landed safely at Tune airport.
The jump was reportedly conducted by Go Skydive Nashville, according to local news outlet WSMV-4.
In a statement to WSMV-4, Go Skydive Nashville said that “details of the incident are still being determined, and Go Skydive Nashville is cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation”.
“Go Skydive Nashville remains dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of training, safety, and professionalism,” the statement added. “At this time, the team is focused on supporting those affected by this tragedy.”
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