Skydiver falls to his death after parachute fails to open’ during jump

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 - A skydiver has di£d after their parachute apparently failed to open when jumping from a plane on Easter Monday, April 6. 

The d£ath at Headcorn Aerodrome, in Ashford, Kent, was confirmed by skydive operators Go Skydive. 

Eyewitness Lucy Barrett, 53, had been preparing for a charity jump when the tragedy happened at around 9.30am. 

"There are five people in our group, and we saw what looked like a person falling, and the chute did not open," she said. 

"We were the next jump, and I was trying to get in the right headspace to jump. I did not believe that it had happened. I was trying to keep myself composed. 

"There was a woman who was really upset about it, and we were trying to calm her down. 

"There was a search, and they only found five of the six parachutes that should have been there. 

"It was after that we were told there had been a f@tality and that the jump would not be going ahead. 

"We weren’t told who had di£d, but what I gathered it was a man who had around 10 years of experience in skydiving. 

"When I spoke to my 22-year-old son, he told me he had seen and heard the whole thing. He has been impacted by it. 

"The police turned up and took witness statements, including one from my son." 

Lucy was jumping in aid of a brain tumour charity for the 40th anniversary of her sister’s d£ath from cancer. 

A spokesman for Go Skydive said: "We are aware of an incident involving a solo club skydiver at a drop zone in Headcorn. Our thoughts are with those affected. 

"We would like to express our sincere thanks to all emergency services and on-site teams for their swift and professional response, as well as to the ground staff who are assisting at this time. 

"A British Skydiving Board of Inquiry will investigate the accident and, when completed, will submit reports to the coroner, the police, the CAA, British Skydiving and any other relevant authorities. 

"The report will include the board’s conclusions and will, if appropriate, make recommendations. 

"At this stage, we are unable to provide any further information. We will continue to cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities and will provide updates if and when it is appropriate to do so." 

Flights were halted throughout the day on Easter Monday as emergency services were called to the aerodrome. 

Forensic teams from Kent Police were at the scene late into the evening