A MAN who died while making a wingsuit flight over the Blackdown Hills at the weekend has been named on social media as Chas McNeil.

Mr McNeil, aged 49, from Swindon, was married and had made more than 10,000 parachute and wingsuit jumps.

He died at Dunkeswell Airfield, near Hemyock, shortly before 1 pm on Saturday as he made a wingsuit jump with a friend.

A GoFundMe appeal has been set up by friend Daniel Hoole to support Mr McNeil’s family.

Mr Hoole said: “Please help and support the McNeil family.

“This collection is to celebrate all what Chas was to us all.

“What can you say about this man, all who knew him, loved him.

“He was always there at the front leading the way, smiling no matter how bad things got.

“He was and always will be one of the greats.

“Let us give him the send-off he deserves.”

Skydive South West, which took over parachuting activities at Dunkeswell after two people died last year in a tandem skydive which went wrong, said Mr McNeil was ‘an experienced licensed skydiver and wingsuit coach’ and was using his personal, advanced equipment.

A company spokesperson said: “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with their family, friends, and the wider skydiving community at this incredibly difficult time.

“As a small, family-run drop zone, this loss has affected us profoundly and personally.

“The UK skydiving community is close-knit, and when we lose one of our own, it is felt across the entire community.”

The spokesperson asked people not to speculate about the accident and said: “Public conjecture can quickly lead to misinformation being shared, which is deeply distressing for the family, friends, and those directly affected.”

British Skydiving confirmed a board of inquiry was being convened to investigate the circumstances of the fatal accident.

A spokesperson said: “Once completed, a full report will be submitted to the coroner, the police, the Civil Aviation Authority, the British Skydiving Safety and Training Committee, and any other relevant authorities.

“The report will include the board’s conclusions and any recommendations, where appropriate.”

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson said: “Emergency services attended the scene, where, sadly, a 49-year-old man was confirmed deceased.

“Scene guards remain in place currently, and inquiries are ongoing into the incident by the relevant agencies.”

The fatality comes after two people died when their parachute failed to open properly for a 15,000 feet tandem jump last June.

They were mother of four Belinda Taylor, aged 48, from Totnes, and her skydiving instructor Adam Harrison, aged 30, of Bournemouth.

A joint inquiry by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, East Devon District Council environmental health officers, and British Skydiving into the cause of that tragedy is still ongoing.

Skydive Buzz, organiser of the tandem jump, later ceased trading but did not go into liquidation as sole director Jason Farrant said it would, and instead a sister company, Skydive UK, went into administraton.

Parachuting activities at Dunkeswell were later taken over by Skydive South West, set up by former employees of Skydive Buzz.