A dad-of-two skydiver plunged 1,500 metres to his death after his parachute failed to open.
Sandro Bigozzi was killed instantly after he leapt from a plane on Saturday (6 Sept).
Police, firefighters and paramedics rushed to the densely vegetated field where he crashed, but there was nothing they could do.
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Investigators believe his main chute failed to deploy – and his reserve either malfunctioned or was pulled too late.
The 49-year-old did the skydive over Monte Compatri, on the outskirts of Rome, Italy.
Sandro, originally from Grosseto, was a professional parachuting instructor with more than 5,600 jumps to his name.
He was also an entrepreneur in the food industry, as well as a keen kitesurfer and sailor.
His love of both sky and sea shone through in his final Facebook post, in which he wrote: “When I first started parachuting as a student, the sea was a dream. I wondered if I’d ever get to fly over it.”
Popular on Instagram, Sandro had more than 51,000 followers, as reported by Need To Know.
In 2015, he fulfilled a dream by jumping with his grandfather, and in 2018 he even performed a tandem leap with Grosseto mayor Antonfrancesco Vivarelli Colonna.
Paying tribute, the mayor said: “I had the honour of flying for the first time with him: a unique experience, made unforgettable by his skill and his smile.
“His passion for flying was contagious, his enthusiasm genuine.
“Today we lose not only a professional but a special person, loved by many.”
Sandro is survived by his wife and two young daughters.
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