Mother dies in skydiving accident as partner watches in horror

Daily Mail​

6 hours ago

The partner of a mother-of-four who died in a sky dive plunge has revealed how he watched in horror as it happened - after buying her the jump as a present. Grieving Scott Armstrong has paid tribute to 'adrenaline junkie' Belinda Taylor (pictured), 48, who died in what was called a 'tragic accident' at Dunkeswell Airfield in Devon.
He has also demanded information about what caused the tragedy, which saw two people including Ms Taylor die on Friday afternoon and is now being probed by the British Skydiving Board of Inquiry. Ms Taylor, also a grandmother-of-two, from Totnes in Devon, is said to have fallen to her death during a 15,000ft dive alongside an instructor. Her partner Mr Armstrong has now written on social media: 'I want answers. Today, they took my world away.' He wrote: 'I miss you so much, you were my best friend, thank you for everything you done for me. From making my children feel at home to putting up with my mess. I'm so lost without you. There's just so much that I don't have the words to express it. I feel so lost i dont know where home is without you.'
He has also described buying the sky dive jump experience for Ms Taylor as a 'thank you' gesture - and witnessed what happened it alongside his nine-year-old son. He told the Mirror : '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. 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.'
A friend told MailOnline that Mr Armstrong was 'not in a good place'. They said: 'He's absolutely devastated. He knows something's not right. He's not a silly boy, he knows when something's wrong. She had never done it before. It was something she always wanted to do so Scott paid for it for her. 'He's absolutely traumatised and that she's gone.'
Meanwhile, other tributes to Ms Taylor have been given - with her eldest son Connor Bowles telling DevonLive : '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. 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.'
Ms Taylor had three adult sons and a teenage daughter, as well as welcoming Mr Armstrong's nine-year-old son. Other witnesses who were at the site on Friday have described the scene, with one saying: 'My husband and I were there when this awful tragedy happened. He was all harnessed up ready to do the next jump when they cancelled it and evacuated the area. The emergency services arrived incredibly quickly. Such devastating news and heartfelt condolences to the families of both victims. He was all harnessed up ready to do the next jump when they cancelled it and evacuated the area. Another witness added: 'My husband and I were at the cafe waiting to be served when the cafe was told to close with no reason given. We left, rather disgruntled at missing out on our coffee. Surprising how things are put in to perspective when you know the facts. Our thoughts and condolences are with all those affected by this very sad tragedy.'
British Skydiving chief executive Robert Gibson earlier posted online: 'Today, Friday 13 June 2025, British Skydiving has been notified of a tragic accident in which two jumpers lost their lives. Our deepest condolences go to their families, friends and the entire skydiving community. A British Skydiving Board of Inquiry will investigate the accident. Once complete, a report - setting out the Board's conclusions and any recommendations - will be submitted to the coroner, the police, the CAA, the British Skydiving Safety & Training Committee (STC) and any other relevant authorities. No further details will be provided at this time. We respectfully ask for privacy for all those affected at this difficult time.'
Devon and Cornwall Police said: 'Emergency services were called to the area of Dunkeswell Aerodrome at around 1pm on Friday 13 June following concerns for the welfare of two people. '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. If anyone has information which may assist us, please call 101 or report via our website quoting 50250150193.' A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority said: 'We are aware of the incident and of our thoughts are of course with the friends and family at this difficult time.'
The CAA added they could not comment any further due to the ongoing investigation. They said: 'We will work closely with the relevant authorities to understand what happened and are awaiting the report into the incident.' 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. Jade Damarell (Pictured), 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.