The mother and sister of a murder victim from Kingsbury took part in a skydive on his 22nd birthday on Saturday.
Tracey and Brooke Hanson, plummeted 13,000ft from the sky in memory of Josh Hanson who was stabbed to death last October.
Josh has previously taken part in a charity skydive to raise funds for Mia Ferreira, a five-year-old girl from Kilburn with cerebral palsy who needed specialist treatment in the United States to help her walk so Tracey decided to do the same in honour of her son.
The pair were joined by 38 other jumpers to collectively raise around £5,000 by leaping from the sky in his memory.
Describing the day as amazing, Tracey Hanson, said: “Doing the jump was petrifying, nerve-wracking, liberating and exhilarating.
“It was an amazing day.
“Before we did the jump we watched a DVD of when Josh did his so we saw what he achieved.”
However the day started off badly when a coach from The United Motor Company in Twickenham that Ms Hanson had paid £650 to take the group to and from Norfolk failed to show up.
The group were forced to either use their own cars or rally around friends and family to get a lift to UK Parachuting where they took part in the jump.
Ms Hanson said: “I can’t believe the coach company let us down like that. I had to call them to find out why the coach didn’t turn up.
“But we all came together and there were enough cars to fit us all and we eventually got to Norfolk albeit later than planned.”
Ms Hanson did her jump with Andy Page, the instructor who skydived with Josh.
“I especially asked for him,” Ms Hanson said.
“He was brilliant as was everyone at UK Parachute including Sindy she was amazing and surpassed her self.
“It really was a great day. A day of mixed emotions filled with sadness and laughter.
“I would like to thank everyone for their support. By supporting me and Brooke they have supported Josh and I know if he was alive he would have done exactly the same for them.”
To make a donation for an anti-knife crime charity which will be established in Josh’s name click here.
Josh, a road planner, was with his partner and friends inside the RE bar in Eastcote when he was knifed in an ‘unprovoked and motiveless’ attack on October 11 last year.
Detectives investigating Josh’s murder have named Shane O’Brien as a suspect they would like to speak to and are offering £10,000 for information leading to his whereabouts.
The 27-year-old from Ladbroke Grove has not been seen since the killing.
Anyone with information about Shane O’Brien’s whereabouts should call the incident room on 020 8785 8099 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Ms Hanson was promised a refund by the coach company but to date she has not received one.
Calls by the Times to The United Motor Company went unanswered and the Twitter and Facebook link shown on its website is not working.
For more information about UK Parchuting visit ukparachuting.co.uk email jump@ukparachuting.co.uk or call 01502 476131.
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