A “selfless” mother has died in a skydiving incident on Friday while her partner watched on helplessly as she fell 15,000ft to her death.
Scott Armstrong had bought the tandem skydive at Dunkeswell airfield in Devon as a present for his girlfriend Belinda Taylor, 48, but was left devastated when her parachute seemingly failed to open.
In an interview with The Mirror, he said: “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.
He said that she had been the last group to head into the sky, and that he watched with binoculars as she jumped from the plane.
"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,” he said.
“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.”
A second skydiver, Adam Harrison, 30, also died in the incident.
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.”
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