A skydiving instructor died after he fell without a parachute during a tandem jump, having become separated from his student in a “freak accident”.
Justin Fuller, 35, was an experienced skydiver who had completed more than 5,000 jumps and trained military personnel.
But something went wrong in his last jump from John C. Tune Airport in Nashville Saturday. Metro Nashville Police Department believe the harness the two jumpers were wearing got caught on the edge of the plane and Fuller fell. His body was later found in a wooded clearing.
The student he jumped with survived the fall having landed in a tree.
The student, who was still attached to a parachute, was left dangling for hours before fire crews used several ladders to reach him and bring him down.
The Nashville Fire Department, which carried out the rescue, said they freed him from the harness and helped him down the ladder using a pulley system.
The student, who has not been named was “awake, alert and in stable condition after being suspended for hours”, and was taken to hospital as a precaution.
A local man who had climbing gear assisted fire crews with the rescue said the student had told him it had been his first jump, and that it would also be his last.
The incident is now under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Three other skydivers, who jumped before the incident, landed safely. The plane, operated by Go Skydive Nashville, also landed safely.
According to a post on his Facebook page, Fuller had only just started working at Go Skydive Nashville. On 19 September he said he was leaving another skydive company and starting at GoSkydive Nashville and was “very excited about this next chapter”.
On Facebook, friends and acquaintances paid tribute to Fuller, nickamed ‘Spidey’. “He was my instructor, and one of the absolute best. We are all devastated by this total freak accident,” one person wrote.
“So kind and had such a great personality and loved what he did”, another said.
In a statement, Go Skydive Nashville said “A skydiving incident occurred on Saturday, October 4, 2025, resulting in the tragic loss of one life.
“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. At this time, the team is focused on supporting those affected by this tragedy.”
According to the United States Parachute Association, parachuting is statistically safe. In 2024, USPA members made 3.88 million skydives. In the same year, there were nine civilian skydiving fatalities in the United States. “This is a record low number since record keeping began in 1961”, the organisation’s website states.
