Instructor killed in Devon tandem skydive had ‘heart of gold’

A skydiving instructor who died during a tandem jump had a way of “turning ordinary days into unforgettable adventures”, his family said.

Adam Harrison was killed when the parachute he was using during a tandem skydive with 48-year-old mother-of-four Belinda Taylor failed to open at Devon’s Dunkeswell Aerodrome on 13 June.

In a tribute, relatives said the 30-year-old “lived with a fullness and brightness that most can only aspire to” and their hearts were aching following his death.

Inquests were opened on Tuesday into the deaths of Mr Harrison and Ms Taylor and investigations by police, East Devon District Council and governing body British Skydiving are ongoing.

The tribute said Mr Harrison, who had also worked as an instructor at Go Ape and was a student at Bournemouth’s Health Sciences University, was “everyone’s cheerleader” and had a sharp wit and a heart of gold.

“Adam loved deeply and was deeply loved in return,” his family said.

“He had a way of making each person feel seen and valued.”

Mr Harrison’s family said he was always chasing joy and approached everything he loved with passion.

They added that he was building a life with his girlfriend Chelsea which promised to be filled with “promise, joy and a love that was felt by everyone around them”.

His family said: “There’s so much sorrow in losing you – so much life left unlived, love left unspoken, future left undone.

“But we carry you with us. In every laugh. Every story. Every tiny moment that reminds us of your warmth, your mischief, your heart.”

Mr Harrison and Ms Taylor, who lived in Totnes, were strapped together when the incident happened.

During the opening of the inquests, senior coroner Philip Spinney said the bodies of Mr Harrison and Ms Taylor were found in a field near the aerodrome after their parachute did not open as expected.

He added that they died as a result of the injuries they sustained from the fall.