Skydiver Falls to the Ground After Hitting Power Lines in Tennessee

Some of the attendees started praying after John Pitts fell.

ByABC News
May 25, 2015, 7:11 AM

— -- A weekend tribute to veterans in Tennessee went horribly wrong when a skydiver hit a set of power lines before slamming to the ground.

John Pitts, 27, struck the power lines during a Vietnam Memorial Day event -- titled “Red, White and You” -- in Winchester Saturday. Pitts, an experienced skydiver with more than 1,000 jumps, got tangled on the wires before falling.

Thousands of people were attending the show at the time. Some of the attendees started praying after Pitts fell.

The married father of two was airlifted to a nearby hospital and treated for minor injuries.

Derek Slade was jumping out of the same plane as Pitts and saw the accident play out in front of him.

“It could have been very catastrophic. He’s very lucky it turned out the way it did,” Slade said.

Police and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the accident.