Trending Topics

Tenn. skydiving instructor killed in fall without parachute

After a tandem jump in Nashville, a skydiver was rescued from a tree while the instructor was later found dead

By Jennifer Rodriguez
The Herald

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — One person is dead and another was rescued during a tragic skydiving incident in Tennessee.

Firefighters responded to reports of a skydiver in distress on Oct. 4, the Nashville Fire Department said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The man was stuck in a tree with an open parachute in a wooded area, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said in a post on X.

In an update, the fire department said the jumper was rescued and freed from a harness after being stuck for hours. He was helped down a ladder and was in stable condition.

Police said the man had been separated from a tandem rig, which is a parachute system, with an instructor.

“The instructor is presumed to have fallen from the sky without a parachute,” police said.

The instructor was not located right away, but an update from police said the 35-year-old instructor was found dead in a wooded area.

Go Skydive Nashville said in a statement to WZTV that it is cooperating with authorities investigating the incident.

“The identity of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. 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,” the business told the outlet.

Three other skydivers who jumped and the plane landed safely, police said.

The man who was rescued was taken to a hospital as a precaution, according to firefighters.

Trending
Therapy dogs from the nonprofit Go Team give first responders, dispatchers a chance to decompress from the emotional toll of emergency calls
CPR
The new free service notifies trained Danville community members when someone nearby is in cardiac arrest, helping start CPR and locate an AED
Programs that send mental health clinicians instead of police to crisis calls are expanding nationwide, but inconsistent funding and limited Medicaid reimbursement threaten their long-term stability
The new Quick Response Unit designation allows Ferndale firefighters to respond to medical calls and reduce long ambulance wait times in their rural community

© 2025 The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.).
Visit www.heraldonline.com.
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Company News
Using a large national EMS dataset, the report delivers a data-driven snapshot of clinical, operational and workforce trends to inform decision-making and system improvement