To the horror of onlookers, a skydiving grandad plunged to his death during a pre-game ceremony at a high school football game in Tennessee.
The unidentified pensioner slammed onto the field during a scheduled pre-game show at David Crockett High School in Jonesborough, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s office.
The skydiver was airlifted to the closest major hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Washington County Director of Schools Jerry Boyd referred to the man as a “beloved husband, father, and grandfather,” in a statement to WCYB.
Authorities did not immediately release any additional details about the skydiver, who Boyd said was hired from the company JumpTN in Greeneville.
The skydiver was 55 years old and had "more than 1500 jumps to his credit," JumpTN said in a statement to USA TODAY.
The company said there were site observers at the game and they did not notice anything unusual about the free fall or the parachute, which was deployed "without incident."
"The deceased was a highly experienced jumper with decades of experience to their credit and a well-respected member of the skydiving community," JumpTN said in the statement.
It continued: "The entire skydiving community is saddened by the sudden loss of a wonderful member of their community."
A moment of silence was held at the football stadium shortly after the parachutist was airlifted to a hospital.
Mental health professionals will be available for students and staff members at all Washington County schools Monday, Mr Boyd added.
The news comes as the husband of a woman who died in a horrific skydiving accident in Australia says the industry is still largely unregulated and nothing has changed since her death five years ago.
Mother-of-eight Kerri Pike died, along with two instructors, while on a tandem jump for her 54th birthday at Mission Beach.
"This incident was always going to happen at some point in time because there is scant regulation in the industry," Alister Pike said to ABC News.
Mr Pike said the years since his wife's death had been a "roller-coaster".
In her finding after Ms Pike's death, coroner Nerida Wilson referred to a lack of regulation for solo sports jumpers.
"There is a culture in the skydiving industry which allows those with experience to self-regulate with regard to downsizing and container compatibility," she said at the time.
