Mum-of-four Belinda Taylor and her instructor died in a skydiving incident on Friday (13 June)
The son of a mum who died in a skydiving accident has recalled a joke she said before the tragic incident.
Belinda Taylor, 48, and her skydiving instructor died after dropping 15,000ft to the ground at Dunkeswell Airfield near Devon on Friday (13 June).
Her boyfriend Scott Armstrong said he had gifted his ‘adrenaline junkie’ girlfriend a tandem skydive, part of the skydiving programme from Skydive Buzz.
Devon and Cornwall Police said that emergency services were called to the area at around 1pm as the pair ‘were sadly both confirmed deceased at the scene’.
Connor Bowles, Belinda’s eldest son, told DevonLive: “On Friday, June 13, our family lost our mum Belinda Taylor.
Belinda Taylor and her skydiving instructor died on Friday (Facebook/Scott Armstrong)
“She was a mother of four children, three adult boys and one teenage girl, and a grandmother to two young children.”
He added: “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.
“We would finally like to thank the police and investigators for the help they have already provided and the support that has been offered by them.”
In an interview with MailOnline, Belinda’s 20-year-old son Elias said his mother joked about the skydiving activity being on Friday 13th, an ‘unlucky day’.
“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… “, he said. “You don’t really expect what happened to happened. She was mentioning it in a jokey way.”
Devon and Cornwall Police said that emergency services were called to the scene (Google Maps)
Chief executive of British Skydiving, Robert Gibson said the ‘relevant authorities’ would be investigating the deaths.
“Today, Friday 13 June 2025, British Skydiving has been notified of a tragic accident in which two jumpers lost their lives,” he said.
“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.”
