Man and woman who died in Devon skydive accident named
Two people who died in a skydive accident in Devon have been named by police.Belinda Taylor, 48, from Totnes, and Adam Harrison, 30, from Bournemouth, died in the accident at Dunkeswell Aerodrome at about 13:00 BST on Friday, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
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The Independent
10 minutes ago
- The Independent
Mother-of-four who died while skydiving ‘just trying something new'
The son of a woman who died while skydiving said she was 'just trying something new' when his family lost her. Mother-of-four Belinda Taylor, 48, from Totnes, Devon, and Adam Harrison, 30, from Bournemouth, Dorset, died in the area of Dunkeswell Aerodrome, Devon, at about 1pm on Friday. Ms Taylor's son Elias Baaklini, 20, a business student from Acton, west London, told the PA news agency: 'She was a very caring woman, always supporting no matter what it was. 'She didn't care as long as you were happy, we all loved her a lot and she will be very missed. 'She was a very positive woman as well, she liked to do exciting things so it's just a tragedy that she went off to have fun, do something she'd never done before, experience something new and we lost her.' Mr Baaklini said he was in Exeter, Devon, with his two older brothers on Friday to celebrate one of their birthdays. He added: 'We don't know too much about what's happened but I think when you go on these types of things it's not what you're expecting, especially now with the safety measures they have, it's such an unlucky thing to happen. 'We just want to know what happened, the cause of it.' Restaurant owner Bachir Baaklini, 46, who has two children with Ms Taylor, including Elias, said his family want 'justice'. He went on: 'We need to find out what caused this so no one else dies the same way as she died. 'It's a shock, Friday and Saturday we were just constantly in tears, you don't think it's a true story.' Mr Baaklini, paying tribute to his ex-wife, said: 'She was a very funny human being. She was a very, very good mum. She was a nice lady. We are a close family.' In a statement issued on Sunday, SkyDiveBuzz Dunkeswell said it was 'heartbroken' by the incident and was fully co-operating with the investigation. It 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 co-operating with the investigation and continue to uphold the highest possible standards in everything we do. 'No further details will be provided at this time. We respectfully ask for privacy for all those affected, including our team, during this incredibly difficult time.' The Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that it was aware of the incident but could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation. A spokesperson added: 'We will work closely with the relevant authorities to understand what happened and are awaiting the report into the incident.'
The Sun
42 minutes ago
- The Sun
Horror moment car ploughs into pedestrian TWICE in front of onlookers as man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder
THIS is the horrifying moment a car reversed into a pedestrian - before ploughing into them a second time. One local watched on in horror as they filmed the incident, as the pedestrian was launched into the air by the force of the crash. 3 3 In the video, a white car with a sunroof can be seen swerving around a second black car - slamming into a pedestrian in the process. The unnamed walker in orange was knocked to the ground by the impact whilst a woman can be heard shouting in Tower Hamlets, in London, on Sunday. Then, the vehicle drove into the man again which propelled him into the air. As he hit the ground, the woman can be seen trying to pry open the car door whilst shouting: 'Open this f***ing car!' Turning around, she shouts for onlookers to 'call the police '. Finally, the people in the car emerged from the vehicle. One man wearing blue shorts immediately bolted from the vehicle and escaped on foot. Meanwhile, a man in grey robes silently waited next to the vehicle. The unnamed woman continued shouting at one of the other occupants - dressed in all black - but, like the other man, he ran away on foot. Shocked onlookers watched on in horror as the argument unfolded. Finally, the car's driver - dressed in neon blue - retrieves something from the car before escaping as well. This horrifying chain of events is understood to be one of two car crashes which took place in Tower Hamlets on June 14. In one of the incidents, the car collided with a man in his 20s, forcing emergency services to rush him to hospital. He was then treated for non-threatening injuries. A second man was also struck shortly during that collision, but his status is unknown. Police are now appealing to that second man to come forward to help them in their investigation. The second crash took place shortly after and saw all four of the people in the vehicle escaping on foot. The 40-year-old man struck by the car in that collision was rushed to hospital and has also been treated for non-threatening injuries. An 18-year-old has been arrested under suspicion of attempted murder, but three of the four people in the car have yet to be traced. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police has said: 'Police are making urgent enquiries to trace the three other people in the car. 'Anybody who witnessed the incident – or who has information – should call 101, quoting crime reference 7432/14JUN.' 3
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
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.
