The 21-year-old, Anthonius Gunawan Agung, waited until an airplane was airborne before leaving the crumbling tower.
ADVERTISEMENTIndonesian air traffic controller Anthonius Gunawan Agung is being hailed as a hero for waiting until an aeroplane was airborne before being forced to jump off Palu airport's control tower when the earthquake hit.
The 21-year-old was giving clearance to a Batik Air plane at the time the 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit the island on Friday.
Despite the control tower being immediately evacuated, Agung decided to stay until the airplane was out of danger. He jumped out of the building as the roof collapsed, breaking his legs, arms, and ribs.
He was airlifted to hospital but died before he could be treated by a specialist for his severe internal injuries.
Air Navigation Indonesia posted a series of tweets detailing how Agung died. They also shared pictures of soldiers carrying his body for burial.
Authorities say at least 844 people have been killed after a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami rocked the Indonesia island of Sulawesi on Friday.