Hemingbrough: Woman's skydive tribute to relatives killed in crash

A woman whose father and grandfather were killed in a plane crash 25 years ago is taking part in a charity skydiving challenge in their memory.

Gerry Davitt, 42, and his father Larry, 67, were among four killed when their aircraft crashed near Selby in 1999.

Pip Nix, 35, said the crash had been "immensely traumatic" for her family

Later this year she will jump out of a plane to raise money for the Cruse Bereavement Support charity, which supported her family at the time.

Speaking to BBC Radio York she said: "At the age of 10, I faced this catastrophic grief that was immensely traumatic and it was Cruse that came in, like angels, and took care of us.

"I'm so thankful of that and want to give something back. But, the other reason I'm doing it is to raise awareness of the situation for children and young people needing bereavement services - it is dire and in a really bad position.

"It's not because we don't have amazing services like Cruse, it's the funding and it's the money."

Ms Nix, who lives in Hambleton with her husband and four-year-old son, said just thinking about the skydive on 1 June was leaving her palms sweaty as the date draws closer.

However, she said she would think of her father to help her cope.

"I would like to think my dad would be immensely proud and one of my coping techniques on the plane is going to be just imagining him sitting there, just winding me up when there's all the bumps in the air, as that's just what he would do," she said.

"I used to go in my dad's aircraft and I wasn't a great flyer then - so can't even imagine it now.

"But I hope that doing something so extreme will get people talking about how something needs to be done about bereavement care."

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