A skydiving instructor plummeted to his death after he and his student separated during a tandem jump over Nashville, Tennessee.
While Justin Robert Fuller, 35, was found dead in a clearing amid a wooded area, his student survived the jump and is expected to be fine, according to a Nashville Police Department news release.
“Three other skydivers who jumped moments earlier landed safely. The plane landed safely at Tune Airport,” the release read.
The incident happened on the afternoon of Oct. 4.
After departing John C. Tune Airport, the skydivers, who were bound together, leaped from the aircraft, according to The Tennessean.
“Fuller and a 46-year-old student became stuck on the side of the plane in a tandem rig,” police said. “Fuller became separated from the rig and fell from the sky.”
Search and rescue, including two police helicopters, initiated a search for the missing skydivers.
They found the student first.
“The student’s emergency parachute deployed and he became lodged in a tree in the 4500 block of Ashland City Highway,” police said.
UPDATE: NFD rescuer safely reached the parachute jumper, freed him from the harness & assisted him down the ladder using a pulley system. Patient is awake, alert & in stable condition after being suspended for hours. Patient will be transported to the hospital as a precaution. pic.twitter.com/S6LY6fZwI5
— Nashville Fire Dept (@NashvilleFD) October 4, 2025
Nearly two hours later, police announced they had found Fuller.
“The instructor is presumed to have fallen from the sky without a parachute,” the release read.
Although he was a veteran skydiver, he had only worked at Go Skydive Nashville for two weeks.
Friend mourns skydiving instructor known as ‘Spidey’ after tragic Nashville fall. https://t.co/gaLFjb7iFu
Karen Aguilar @KarenAFox17) has the story on FOX 17 News at 5:30. https://t.co/wHWuG95mFT
(Photos: Luke Goodgion / Anonymous) pic.twitter.com/TYfDwsRwLi
— FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) October 6, 2025
This wasn’t his first brush with death, however.
In June he survived a plane crash.
The malfunctioning aircraft, carrying 19 passengers, crashed into some trees shortly after takeoff.
While the accident hospitalized four people, Fuller wasn’t harmed.
After the crash, he posted a statement to social media, according to The Tennessean.
“I’ve had a ton of y’all reach out and ask if this changes my plan for my lifestyle moving forward. The answer to that is a resounding hell no,” Fuller wrote. “I love this sport, I love the lifestyle it has given me, and I love the people way to much to leave this behind.
“I’ve always known there’s a chance something like this could happen and could happen again. All we can do is strive to make this sport as safe as possible and keep learning from events such as these. I will continue to be a catalyst for safety and make sure me and those around get to enjoy this amazingly unique sport for a very long time,” he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration is still investigating the incident, and it is unclear how Fuller detached from his student.
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