‘Extremely skilled’ skydiver with greater than 10,000 jumps dies throughout wingsuit leap at UK airfield

A “extremely skilled” skydiver with 10,000-plus jumps below his belt died throughout a wingsuit leap at a UK airfield.

Emergency crews rushed to Dunkeswell Aerodrome on Saturday afternoon after receiving a name a few skydiver severely injured whereas doing a wingsuit leap with a pal, the BBC reported.

The sufferer, a 49-year-old man, was pronounced lifeless on the scene, Devon and Cornwall Police mentioned.

Police mentioned the skydiver’s title has not been launched, however “his household has been knowledgeable.”

Skydive South West, which operates the power, introduced that they had been “deeply saddened” to substantiate the loss of life of the “skilled” and “licensed” skydiver, who had recorded “over 10,000 jumps” previous to his loss of life.

The membership mentioned he was “utilizing his private parachute tools and a sophisticated wingsuit” on the time of the tragedy.

“Our ideas and heartfelt condolences are with their household, associates and the broader skydiving group at this extremely tough time. As a small, family-run drop zone, this loss has affected us profoundly and personally,” Skydive South West mentioned.

“The UK skydiving group is close-knit, and after we lose one among our personal, it’s felt throughout all the group.”

The membership mentioned it adopted necessary procedures by informing police and British Skydiving so authorities might perform an impartial investigation into what prompted the accident.

British Skydiving confirmed the loss of life of the “extremely skilled skydiver at Dunkeswell Airfield” in an announcement posted on X.

“A British Skydiving Board of Inquiry will now be convened to analyze the circumstances surrounding the accident,” the group mentioned.

“Our ideas are with the household, associates and all these affected at this tough time.”

Dunkeswell Aerodrome was established as a US Navy base throughout World Conflict II and later functioned as a Royal Air Power base earlier than being transformed for civilian use, based on the BBC.

The incident comes weeks after a French world champion wingsuit skydiver was killed when his parachute did not open throughout a free-fall leap over Europe’s highest peak.

Pierre Wolnik, a two-time freefly world champion, died on Feb. 7 after leaping from a helicopter above the Mont Blanc massif within the French Alps and free-falling for a number of seconds when his parachute did not deploy.

The 37-year-old struck rocky terrain, and it took first responders hours to find his physique in Les Bossons. He was pronounced lifeless on the scene.

Wolnik, a world champion in 2022 and 2024, was a number one determine within the excessive sport and was set to characterize France on the 2026 World Air Sports activities Federation Championships this summer season.