When people say they will try anything once, it usually implies they have the opportunity to do it again. But, for one British grandma, her first skydive was the only one she would ever have a chance to do as her parachute failed to open, and she plunged to her death along with her tandem partner.
48-year-old Belinda Taylor jumped from a plane over the fields of Devon, strapped to Adam Harrison. The two of them began their descent from 15,000 feet. Although the experience was nerve-wracking, Belinda believed she was in good hands.
Her 30-year-old tandem skydiving partner was experienced and had performed many jumps before. However, when the parachute failed to open, the grandma knew she was about to fall to her death. Plunging thousands of feet, the pair met their end as they hit the ground near the airbase in east Devon.
Fateful Jump For Addrenaline Junky Grandma
At around 1 PM, emergency services were called “following concerns for the welfare of two people.” The bodies of the grandma and her tandem skydive instructor were found. They had both suffered multiple injuries from the fall.
The investigation found that the parachutes had not opened as intended, and they had fallen to their deaths. “We are heartbroken to confirm that an incident occurred on Friday, resulting in the tragic loss of two lives. As per standard procedure, the relevant authorities were contacted immediately, and the appropriate investigation protocols were initiated without delay,” a statement by the skydive center said.
The skydive had been bought for the grandma by her partner. Recently, his nine-year-old had come to stay with them, he told The Mirror. She had welcomed him with open arms, and to say thank you, he had bought her the skydive experience. She was an adrenaline jukie, and loved wild experiences.
However, due to the failed parachute, this was the last skydive Grandma Belinda would ever do. She is being remembered by her family. She was a mother of four children and a grandmother to two children.