The tragic incident prior to the David Crockett and Daniel Boone High School football game Friday night garnered national attention.
The man was identified as 55 year old Richard Sheffield. He was a professional parachutist – with 1,500 jumps to his credit. He was skydiving in prior to the rivalry game, known as the Musket Bowl, this year held at David Crockett High School in Jonesborough.
He was part of a group of paratroopers -known as Jump TN, out of Greeneville…who said later there was nothing out of the ordinary about his dive or the parachute which was reportedly deployed without incident.
He crashed and landed near the parking lot as horrified spectators watched. The skydiver was airlifted to an area hospital where he died of his injuries.
Richard Sheffield, an Elizabethton native, worked as a male nurse at Meadowview Surgery Center in Kingsport. He leaves behind his wife of 38 years, and one son. A moment of silence was held after the parachutist was airlifted to the hospital.