A tragic incident occurred at Headcorn Aerodrome in Ashford, Kent, where a skydiver lost their life as their parachute failed to open during a jump on Easter Monday. The incident, which took place yesterday morning, was confirmed by the skydive operators, Go Skydive.
Eyewitness Lucy Barrett, 53, who was preparing for a charity jump, described witnessing the person falling without the parachute opening as expected. She mentioned that only five out of the six parachutes that were supposed to be there were found after a search of the area.
Lucy, who was about to jump next, expressed her shock and disbelief at the situation. She mentioned the impact the incident had on her son, who witnessed the event. The police arrived at the scene and took witness statements, including one from her son.
The skydiver, with approximately 10 years of experience, tragically lost his life in the accident. Flights were suspended on Easter Monday as emergency services responded to the aerodrome. The incident will be investigated by a British Skydiving Board of Inquiry, with reports to be submitted to relevant authorities once completed. The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan plane involved in the activity was identified leaving and returning to the aerodrome on the day of the incident.
Forensic teams from Kent Police were present at the scene, and authorities are yet to provide further comments on the matter.
