Mum persuaded to DOUBLE height of deadly skydive by firm who boasted ‘no-one jumps from higher' as fall caught on camera
A MUM-of-four killed in a skydive tragedy was persuaded to double the height of the jump minutes before taking off.
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.
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But the 48-year-old had only planned a 7,000ft jump when she arrived at the centre on Friday before changing her mind at the last minute.
Her grieving boyfriend, Scott Armstrong - who bought the skydive experience for the 48-year-old 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!".
But previous customers have slammed them for "bullying" customers into upgrading to a higher jump than they are comfortable with and claimed the safety briefing was used to "hard sell upgrades".
One posted on Tripadvisor: "When we arrived we were almost bullied into feeling like we should purchase upgrades but having done it before knew this was not necessary.
"The briefing was a sales technique whereby we were told anything less than a 15,000 jump was a waste of money that we wouldn't enjoy."
A mum who took her daughters to Skydive Buzz added: "From the minute you arrived it was all about getting more money from you.
"My two daughters age 20 and 16 had pre-paid for a 7,000 ft jump as they were doing it to raise money for their expedition next year.
"I attended the Safety briefing with the girls and after the 10 minute tick box risk assessment exercise the rest of the 45 minutes was hard sell - upgrades from £130, £180 for a video and photos, £50 to go as a passenger in the plane, £5 to go in bus and watch them land, you had to even pay for a shower after."
Another jumper added: "When we had our briefing, all the man was interested in doing was upselling.
"Five minutes was how to land and the rest was comments saying if you don't pay for photos it's not worth it, if you do 7,000ft it's not worth it, if you don't have a video, its not worth it.
"I continued to refuse. After the briefing and we were getting ready they were so intent on getting money that they came and asked us again to pay for the 15,000ft skydive."
"Completely ruined the whole experience."
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 Scott Armstrong, who brought the jump for her as a present.
'A SHOCK'
Elias, a university student who lives in west London, described his mother, 48, as "selfless", adding: "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 (boyfriend) 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."
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."
Eldest son Connor Bowles added: "On Friday, June 13, our family lost our mum Belinda Taylor.
TRIBUTES
"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."
The Sun has reached out to Skydive Buzz for comment.
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