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.”
Ms Taylor’s sister Michelle Gaffney, 41, from London, told PA: “Our hearts are completely broken and we are still in so much shock.
“My big sister was such a kind soul and would do anything for anyone. She was such a fun loving woman with a heart of gold and a brilliant sense of humour. She was a wonderful mother and raised four beautiful children.
“Words can’t even begin to express how much we love her and our hearts will be broken forever. Though she isn’t with us in person anymore, she will be in our hearts always.
“We also want to send our condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family of Adam Harrison. He and they are also in our hearts.
“As a family, we have now provided multiple statements to various media and I would like to request that we are now left alone to grieve in private.”
Ms Taylor’s partner Scott Armstrong told the BBC: “She was a lovely person, she was my best friend. She was an absolute nutcase who just loved adventures.”
Mr Armstrong went on: “If she had £10 in her purse and you needed £10, you got it. She would put her own needs out of the way.
“Somebody had sent me the nicest message last night.
“They said they were on the plane with her and she was laughing and joking and really excited of going up to the last minute. And I needed to hear that.”
He said her death had left him “lost”, telling the broadcaster: “She was my only friend, I don’t even know where home is now.
“She was what I had down here, now I don’t have her here, I’m speechless.
“We lost our world.”
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.”
