Belinda Taylor was one of two people who died in a skydiving accident in Devon
A mother of four and her skydiving instructor who were killed after their parachute failed to open have been pictured.
Tandem jumpers Belinda Taylor and Adam Harrison fell 15,000ft to their deaths on Friday afternoon at Dunkeswell airfield, near Honiton, Devon.
Fellow plane passengers said the pair’s parachute and reserve parachute failed to open and both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Tributes have poured in for Ms Taylor, 48, including from her partner, Scott Armstrong.
Horse fan Belinda Taylor ‘wanted only the best for others and especially her loved ones’, said her son Connor
“I miss you so much, you were my best friend,” he posted on social media.
“Thank you for everything you [have] done for me, [from] making my children feel at home to putting up with my mess.
“I’m so lost without you. I feel so lost, I don’t know where home is without you.”
He told the Mirror he had bought the skydive as a present for his “adrenaline junkie” girlfriend.
Mr Armstrong added he was watching the jump with binoculars when he saw one of the jumpers did not have their parachute open.
Ms Taylor was the mother of three adult boys and one teenage girl as well as grandmother to two children.
Connor Bowles, her eldest son, paid tribute to her and told DevonLive: “On Friday, June 13, our family lost our mum Belinda Taylor.
”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.”
Skydiving instructor Adam Harrison died in the tandem jump accident
Mr Harrison had worked as a skydiving instructor since September 2020, according to his LinkedIn. He was also training as a chiropractor student.
A passenger who jumped from the same plane as the victims but wished to remain anonymous, told The Telegraph: “They were both lovely bright people you could tell that from being in the plane.
“They were full of smiles and jokes and were both obviously excited for this experience. They continued to joke and laugh the entire flight up to 15,000ft.”
Another said Ms Taylor had been in high spirits before the fatal jump, and had been making small talk with other skydivers about their upcoming jump.
Police and forensics teams at the Devon airfield where two skydivers died – Mark Passmore/SWNS
The incident is being investigated by the British Skydiving Board of Inquiry.
A spokesman from Devon & Cornwall Police said: “The skydivers were sadly both confirmed deceased at the scene. Scene guards remain in place and inquiries are ongoing by the relevant agencies.”
