EXCLUSIVE 'Adrenaline junkie' mother-of-four, 48, doubled the height of her tandem sky dive jump before she plunged 15,000ft to her death with instructor
An 'adrenaline junkie' mother of four killed in a skydive tragedy decided to double the height of the jump minutes before taking off, MailOnline can reveal.
Belinda Taylor, from Totnes in Devon, fell 15,000ft to her death alongside instructor Adam Harrison in a 'tragic accident' at Dunkeswell Airfield, in Devon.
But the 48-year-old had only planned a 7,000ft jump when she arrived at the centre last Friday before changing her mind at the last minute.
Her grieving boyfriend Scott Armstrong, who has described her as 'an adrenaline junkie and an adventurer', had bought the skydive experience for her as a present.
He said: '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.
'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.'
Operator Skydive Buzz advertises jumps from 7,000ft, 10,000ft and 15,000ft - with the company's website proudly claiming: 'No one jumps from higher in the UK!'
Devon and Cornwall Police and the British Skydiving Board of Inquiry are both investigating the cause of the accident.
Meanwhile Ms Taylor's son Elias, 20, said she had become more 'adventurous' after meeting her new boyfriend Mr Armstrong.
Elias, a university student who lives in west London, described his mother, 48, as 'selfless', telling MailOnline: 'She really just put everyone above herself. It's really difficult for [younger sister] Emily as she was the one living there with mum.
'I spoke to her a week before it happened. It's kind of weird thinking about it now, but at the time obviously she was saying how the jump would take place on Friday 13th and all those things.
'You don't really expect what happened to happened. She was mentioning it in a jokey way.
'It's all still a bit of a shock. Recently she had Scott and two of his kids, and looked after them. She was getting more adventurous with him, kayaking and stuff, looking to have that excitement and have more fun.
'She talked for ages and ages, and always wanted to have a chat. She was such a positive person.'
Belinda Taylor's grieving partner Scott Armstrong has paid tribute to her on Facebook
He added: 'We just want answers about what happened and how it could have happened.
'We want as much information as possible - we feel like it would help us be at peace.'
Her eldest son Connor Bowles has said: 'On Friday, June 13, our family lost our mum Belinda Taylor.
'She was a mother of four children, three adult boys and one teenage girl, and a grandmother to two young children.
'She was a selfless woman who wanted only the best for others and especially her loved ones.'
Her tandem partner Mr Harrison from Bournemouth had worked as a skydiving instructor since September 2020.
The 30-year-old, who has been described by his sister as 'wonderful', was also training as a chiropractor.
In a tribute, Mr Harrison's sister Amy Harrison extended her condolences to Ms Taylor's family.
She said: 'Adam had built a sterling reputation as a professional instructor and we take comfort in knowing that he would undoubtedly have done everything in his power to avert any crisis.'
A statement from Skydive Buzz posted on Facebook said: 'We are heartbroken to confirm that an incident occurred on Friday, resulting in the tragic loss of two lives.
'Our deepest condolences go out to the families, friends, and everyone affected by this devastating event.
'As per standard procedure, the relevant authorities were contacted immediately, and the appropriate investigation protocols were initiated without delay.
'A British Skydiving Board of Inquiry will now investigate the accident.
'Once complete, a report – including conclusions and any recommendations – will be submitted to the coroner, the police, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the British Skydiving Safety & Training Committee (STC), and other relevant bodies.
'Safety is, and always has been, our top priority. We are fully cooperating with the investigation and continue to uphold the highest possible standards in everything we do.'
It comes after a separate skydiver was feared to have taken her own life in a 10,000ft fall from the sky in Shotton Colliery, Co Durham.
Emergency services were called to the scene at Dunkeswell Airfield on Friday at about 1pm
Jade Damarell, 32, an experienced parachutist who had accomplished more than 400 jumps, died instantly after hitting the ground during a jump at the base.
Police quickly ruled out any suspicious circumstances and were understood to have discovered notes disclosing her intentions.
MailOnline understands that Ms Damarell, from Caerphilly, south Wales, had broken up with her boyfriend the day prior to taking to the skies.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
30 minutes ago
- BBC News
Lincoln family 'devastated' after two goats stolen from farm
A family said it has been left "absolutely devastated" after two of its hand-reared goats were Johnson, who lives at a farm in Dogdyke, Lincoln, said she noticed the goats, both called Fred, were gone on Thursday morning when it was "deadly silent". She said it felt like a "violation" and questioned whether "it's worth the risk" to continue keeping goats on the farm. Lincolnshire Police said it received a report of the goats "believed to have been stolen from a field" between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. She said the goats had been left outside on the night they were stolen due to the warm discovered they had both gone at about 06:00 BST on Thursday morning."Big Fred had a bell and it was deadly silent. We knew something was going on because we couldn't hear it."He usually stands at the gate in the morning for his breakfast. Fred Goat was also missing," she Johnson said they had already increased security measures at the farm after another goat was taken three weeks before. 'Psychological scarring' Ms Johnson said: "We've got a toddler in the family who was absolutely in love with that white goat."These are family pets so it's absolutely devastating."She added: "It's the afterthought of thinking someone has been walking on my property at night without me knowing."That leaves a psychological scarring on you." A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: "We received a report of two goats believed to have been stolen from a field at a property in Dogdyke sometime between 23:00 BST on 18 June and 06:00 on 19 June."We would welcome any information that may assist our inquiries."Meanwhile, police have appealed for information after the remains of a number of sheep were found in the Boston area at Hobhole Bank on 14 asked farmers to check their flocks to see if they had any livestock missing, particularly ewes and black headed rams. Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
The Sun
42 minutes ago
- The Sun
Woman, 44, dies after stabbing inside shop as man, 47, arrested on suspicion of murder
A WOMAN has been stabbed to death inside a shop in broad daylight as cops arrest a man, 47, on suspicion of murder. Police were called to Stanley Road, in Bootle, Merseyside, on Friday evening at just after 5pm. Merseyside Police Det Insp Gavin Mulcahy said: "It is desperately sad that a woman lost her life earlier today as a result of this incident. "Our thoughts first and foremost are with her family, who are now left to grieve her loss in the most tragic of circumstances. They will be fully supported by specialist officers in the coming days and weeks." Det Insp Mulchahy added: "We are in the very early stages of our investigation but this is currently being treated as a domestic assault in which the suspect and victim knew each other, and we are not looking for anyone else in connection with it." 1 is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Telegraph
42 minutes ago
- Telegraph
It is time to suspend Dominic Grieve's anti-Islamophobia group
There have been too many casualties in the grooming gang scandal. Yet so far, the political consequences have been few. It is far from clear however that Dominic Grieve's Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group can, or should, survive this week's fall out. What a few weeks ago was dismissed as 'dog-whistle' politics or the agenda of the 'far-Right' – the scandal of mass grooming of girls by mostly Pakistani origin males – is now viewed very differently. This shifting ground greatly impacts attempts to establish a definition of 'Islamophobia ' – controversially signposted by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner in February. A new Policy Exchange report How Not to Tackle Grooming Gangs: The National Grooming Gang Inquiry and a Definition of Islamophobia details just how difficult it has been, for over two decades, to describe openly what people could see about grooming gangs with their own eyes. Let four examples suffice here. For her past work on Rotherham, Louise Casey was put forward for an 'Islamophobe of the year award' by one activist group. The late journalist Andrew Norfolk was vilified, as was then Labour MP for Keighley, Ann Cryer. In 2020, when broadcaster Trevor Phillips was suspended by Labour for alleged Islamophobia, the first charge listed was journalism where he had written of 'the exposure of systematic and longstanding abuse by men, mostly of Pakistani Muslim origin in the North of England.' How ridiculous this orthodoxy now looks. On one level, Government appears to accept this new reality. On Monday the Home Secretary declared 'those vile perpetrators who have grown used to the authorities looking the other way must have no place to hide.' As she spoke, she was surrounded by female Labour MPs who appeared chastened by the weight of events. And yet, there are grounds for pessimism. For the national inquiry into grooming gangs to work it cannot be placed in a straitjacket. It will need to shine a torchlight into every Whitehall office, every stalled police inquiry, each Town Hall in England, and every licensing arrangement between a local authority and a taxi firm. Its hands cannot be tied by political, social or religious considerations. As Yvette Cooper spoke in the Commons, others were risking that very scenario. The call for evidence by Grieve's working group is underway, as he seeks to develop a new definition of Islamophobia. While ministers have said this would not be statutory, if accepted by the public and private sector (as activists will demand) it would in practice become binding policy if not law. To that backdrop, how confident would a care worker, teacher or local councillor in Rochdale or Rotherham be, about speaking openly on issues which concern them? Angela Rayner should thank Dominic Grieve and his team for their work, then put the group on ice. If the grooming gang inquiry finds fears of prejudice and Islamophobia have undermined the response to grooming gangs, then the retirement of the Islamophobia Definition Working Group must become permanent.
