The man has been described as a "highly experienced" skydiver with more than "10,000 jumps logged"
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Dunkeswell-Aerodrome-030126-b71db029b0cb4cd1837e07ce043ac37c.jpg "Man, 49, Dies While Skydiving, Months After 2 Others Died at Same Airfield Dunkeswell Aerodrome, UK")
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NEED TO KNOW
- A 49-year-old man in England has died following a skydiving accident
- Police were called to an airfield in Devon on Saturday, Feb. 28, at about 1 p.m local time “following concerns for the welfare of a male skydiver”
- The incident occurred less than a year after two skydivers died at the same airfield
A man has died following a skydiving incident at an aerodrome in England — less than a year after two others died at the same airfield.
Police were called to Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Devon, a county in the southwest region of the country, “following concerns for the welfare of a male skydiver” on Saturday, Feb. 28, just before 1 p.m. local time, per a media release from Devon and Cornwall Police.
A 49-year-old man, whose name has not been released publicly, was pronounced dead at the scene, per the statement.
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Police added that the man’s family has since been informed of his death, and that inquiries into the incident “by the relevant agencies” are ongoing.
Devon and Cornwall Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
In a statement obtained by local outlet DevonLive, a spokesperson for Skydive Southwest, a commercial skydiving company that operates out of Dunkeswell Aerodrome, said that the man was a “licensed skydiver and wingsuit coach with over 10,000 jumps logged.”
They added that the man was “carrying out a wingsuit jump with a friend, using his personal parachute equipment and an advanced wingsuit,” when the incident occurred.
“As a small, family-run drop zone, this loss has affected us profoundly and personally. The U.K. skydiving community is close-knit, and when we lose one of our own, it is felt across the entire community,” the company added.
They asked that members of the public “refrain from speculation” about the incident while an investigation into the cause of the tragedy is underway, and stated that their club “followed set procedures” following the accident.
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British Skydiving, the national governing body for skydiving in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, acknowledged the incident in a statement on Facebook on Sunday, March 1.
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“British Skydiving can confirm that a fatal incident occurred yesterday involving a highly experienced skydiver at Dunkeswell Airfield,” the statement began.
“A British Skydiving Board of Inquiry will now be convened to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident,” they continued, adding that “a full report,” including “conclusions and recommendations where appropriate,” will be submitted to the coroner, the police and other relevant parties once the investigation is complete.
“Our thoughts are with the family, friends and all those affected at this difficult time,” they added.
The incident occurred less than a year after two people died during a tandem jump at the same airfield, according to the BBC.
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Skydiving instructor Adam Harrison, 30, and Belinda Taylor, 48, died on June 13, 2025, after their parachute failed to open, per the outlet.
Official inquiries were opened into the cause of the accident, though the official findings have not yet been released.