Tributes have poured in for a mother-of-four who died in a skydive jump gone wrong at a Devon airfield.
Belinda Taylor and her instructor were both killed in a tandem skydiving accident at Dunkeswell Airfield near Honiton on Friday.
Her partner, Scott Armstrong, said that his world has been ‘taken away’ after the incident, which saw Taylor and her instructor plunge to their death during the 15,000ft jump.
He had bought the skydive experience as a gift to Belinda, and he was watching her go from binoculars when things went wrong, Scott said.
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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.
Scott demanded ‘answers’ following the harrowing incident, which killed his partner, who is also a grandmother of two.
He wrote: ‘I want answers. Today, they took my world away.’
He wrote on Facebook: ‘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.
‘I’m so lost without you I don’t even know, my diet and the foods you made, 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.’
Belinda’s eldest son, Connor Bowles, told local media she was a ‘selfless woman who wanted only the best for others.’
‘She will be deeply missed and will leave an everlasting impression on all those she has met in life,’ he said.
Tandem dives usually involve a first timer strapped to a highly experienced instructor.
It is an easier way for beginners to experience free fall from high altitudes without extensive training.
Belinda’s death is being investigated by the British Skydiving Board of Inquiry.
Robert Gibson, chief executive of British Skydiving, said: ‘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.’
A spokesperson for the CAA told the Mail: ‘We are aware of the incident and of our thoughts are of course with the friends and family at this difficult time.
‘We will work closely with the relevant authorities to understand what happened and are awaiting the report into the incident.’
Devon and Cornwall Police said that emergency services first attended the aerodrome at around 1pm on Friday and scene guards remain on site.
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