Latest news with #Dunkeswell
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Man and woman who died in Devon skydive accident named
Two people who died in a skydive accident in Devon have been named by 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. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Tributes paid to ‘selfless' mother killed during skydiving tragedy in Devon
A 'selfless' mother has died in a skydiving incident on Friday with her family left devastated after she fell 15,000ft to her death. Belinda Taylor, 48, had been participating in a tandem skydive at Dunkeswell airfield in Devon when she was killed after jumping from the aircraft. A second skydiver, whose identity has not yet been revealed, also died in the incident. Posting on social media, her partner Scott Armstrong wrote: 'I miss you so much, you were my best friend, thank you for everything you [have] done for me. From making my children feel at home to putting up with my mess.' Her eldest son, Connor Bowles, told DevonLive: 'On Friday, 13 June, 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.' Emergency services were called to the area at around 1pm following concerns for the welfare of two people, with both skydivers confirmed dead at the scene. Chief executive of British Skydiving, Robert Gibson, said in a statement: '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.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mother dies in skydiving accident as partner watches in horror
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.
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Sky News
Tributes paid to mother-of-four among two skydivers who died in 'tragic accident'
Why you can trust Sky News A mother-of-four was among two skydivers who died following a "tragic accident" at an airfield in Devon. Belinda Taylor was pronounced dead at the scene following Friday afternoon's incident in the area of Dunkeswell Aerodrome near Honiton. On Facebook, her partner Scott Armstrong wrote: "I miss you so much, you were my best friend. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, from making my children feel at home to putting up with my mess. "… there's just so much that I don't have the words to express it. "I feel so lost. I don't know where home is without you." Ms Taylor's eldest son, Connor Bowles, paid tribute to a "selfless woman" who was also a grandmother to two young children. Thanking investigators for their work so far, he told DevonLive: "She will be deeply missed and will leave an everlasting impression on all those she has met in life." The identity of the second skydiver who died is yet to be made public, but their family has been informed. British Skydiving has confirmed it will be investigating the incident - with a report sent to the coroner, the Civil Aviation Authority and the police. In a statement, SkydiveBuzz, which operates at the airfield, said its "deepest condolences go out to the families, friends and everyone affected by this devastating event". A spokesperson added: "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. "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."
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
Partner of woman killed in tragic skydive ‘bought her jump as gift' before ‘watching with son as she fell to death'
The partner of a mum-of-four killed in a tragic skydive jump has revealed he bought her the experience as a gift to say thank you. Emergency services rushed to Dunkeswell Airfield, near Honiton, Devon in the UK on Friday where Belinda Taylor and her skydiving instructor were both tragically pronounced dead at the scene. Belinda, 48, died instantly when she fell 4572 metres after her parachute failed to open. Her partner Scott Armstrong discovered her body strapped to that of her instructor on the landing strip and said they were both 'clearly dead'. Mr Armstrong bought the tandem jump as a gift for his 'adrenaline junkie' girlfriend. The devastated dad 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.' Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed the skydivers' families had been informed and a probe into the incident was underway. A skydiver who jumped moments after Belinda saw the tragedy unfold from above. The person, who did not wish to be named, told The Sun they saw the parachute fail. They also saw Mr Armstrong climb into his car in a bid to try to save Belinda. They added: 'Belinda jumped out, all the safety checks were done, all the parachute checks, the handles and goggles were pulled.' The seasoned jumper said they finished the dive 'quicker than usual' after spotting the 'commotion' on the ground. The diver was then told to get away from the airfield as quickly as possible, but saw Mr Armstrong attempting to find Belinda. They added: 'Her partner jumped in his car to get to the other airfield to see what was going on. 'They weren't providing updates to the partner. 'He found out for himself when he saw the bodies. 'He could do nothing to save her. 'Everyone was visibly upset and distressed.' Heartfelt tributes poured in for the mum-of-four and her instructor. Belinda, who lived not far from the field, had three adult sons and a teenage daughter and was also a grandmother of two. Her eldest son Connor Bowles told 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 while we grieve our loss and remember our mum as we should do.' TRAGEDY PROBE British Skydiving Chief executive Robert Gibson confirmed a probe had been launched and his organisation was assisting authorities. In a statement he said: 'Today 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 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.' Local charity Devon in Sight said it had suspended its upcoming skydiving events while the investigation was ongoing. CEO Grahame Flynn said: 'Having undertaken two skydive challenges in 2018 and 2022 I know how meticulous the team at Skydive Buzz are in their training. 'In view of this tragic news our events planned for Saturday 21st June, Wednesday 25th June and Saturday 5th July are suspended pending investigation. 'Our Jump for Sight Challenges have raised significant funds for our work over the years. 'At this time our thoughts are with the instructor and student who lost their lives and their families, friends and colleagues.' Cops have asked anyone with information on the tragedy to get in touch.
