Two skydivers have died following an incident at an airfield in Devon, police have confirmed. Emergency services were called to Dunkeswell aerodrome, near Honiton, at around 1pm on Friday after concerns were raised for the welfare of two people.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the pair were skydivers and were both pronounced dead at the scene. Their families have been informed. Scene guards remain in place while inquiries are carried out by the relevant agencies.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it was aware of the incident and that its thoughts were with the friends and family at this difficult time. The authority added that it would work closely with relevant agencies to understand what happened and await the report into the incident.
British Skydiving, the national governing body, said it had been notified of a “tragic accident” in which two jumpers lost their lives. In a statement, the organisation expressed its deepest condolences to the families, friends and the entire skydiving community. It will send a report to the coroner, police, the CAA and its safety and training committee.
Dunkeswell aerodrome is a former RAF site in the Blackdown Hills, close to the Somerset border. Built as a US naval base during the Second World War, it is the highest licensed airfield in the UK at 839 feet above sea level. Skydiving fatalities in the UK are rare, with no tandem jump deaths recorded between 2001 and 2020, according to the British Parachute Association.
