WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT: Belinda Taylor and her instructor died after plummeting 15,000ft to the ground at an airfield in Devon on Friday – after partner Scott Armstrong bought the skydive as a ‘thank you’ present
A tragic mum-of-four died in a skydiving accident as her horrified partner looked on helplessly after buying her the tandem jump as a gift. Belinda Taylor was killed instantly along with her instructor when they plummeted 15,000ft to the ground at an airfield in Devon on Friday.
Her partner Scott Armstrong bought the skydive as a thank you present for his “adrenaline junkie” girlfriend. He told the Mirror how he saw the tragedy unfold and later found the 48-year-old’s body in a field at Dunkeswell Airfield. Scott said: “Belinda was my absolute world. She was so kind and giving and would do anything for anyone. My nine-year-old son recently came to live with us and she welcomed him with open arms and was brilliant. As a thank you present I decided to buy her the tandem skydive. She was absolutely buzzing about it.
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“The plan was to do a 7,000ft jump, but at the last minute she said she wanted to do a 15,000ft one, so I paid the extra money. They were the last group to go up.
“I was using binoculars and saw them all jump and noticed that one chute hadn’t opened. I was freaking out. They disappeared from view. I jumped in my car with my lad and raced across the fields.
“I found Belinda and the instructor lying there, still together, both clearly dead. It was a horrific sight. I miss her so much. I’m so lost without her. She meant the world to all of us and we’ll never forget her.
“She was an adrenaline junkie and an adventurer. She’d done kayaking and all sorts.”
Belinda, from Totnes, had three adult sons and a teenage daughter and was also a grandmother-of-two. Her eldest son Connor Bowles said: “She was a selfless woman who wanted only the best for others and especially her loved ones. She will be deeply missed and will leave an everlasting impression on all those she has met in life.
“We as a family would like to ask for peace and privacy during this time whilst we grieve our loss and remember our mum as we should do.
“We would like to thank the police and investigators for the help they have already provided and the support that has been offered by them.”
The tandem jump was part of the skydiving programme from Skydive Buzz who carry out regular skydiving activities at the airfield.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the tragic accident. Emergency crews were called to the airfield near Honiton following concerns for the welfare of two people.
Devon and Cornwall Police said: “It was reported that they were skydivers. They were sadly both confirmed deceased at the scene and their families have been informed. Scene guards remain in place and enquiries are ongoing by the relevant agencies.”
