Maine Skydiving Instructor Presumed Dead After Losing Parachute During Tandem Jump

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LEBANON, Maine (CBS) – A skydiving instructor is presumed dead after he went missing Thursday afternoon after losing his parachute during a tandem jump in Maine.

Search crews are attempting to find Brett Bickford, 41, of Rochester N.H. He lost his parachute about a mile above the ground.

Search crews looking for a missing Maine skydiver. (Image Credit: Maine Warden Service)

Bickford, an instructor from Skydive New England, was participating in a tandem jump. Maine State Police said the student landed safely and called 911 to report that Bickford fell not long after jumping out of the plane.

Crews are searching in the area surrounding Skydive New England again Friday after a search that lasted several hours Thursday.