WATCH: Eight-year-old shows Benonians the top of the world

The Laerskool Northmead learner said he was scared just before he jumped out of the aeroplane, but said he will skydive again.

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He was assisted by a tandem skydiver, meaning he was strapped to a professional skydiver.

His tandem jumper, Stefan Griesel, even let him control the parachute.

The boy’s mom, Bernice, explained the reason why Liam’s jump was actually a lot deeper than what people think.

“My sister’s name was Cornelia Bouwer. She was my only sibling and she died on December 9. She was only 37 and since her death I’ve had the urge to live my life to the fullest,” said Bernice.

She explained she and an old friend reconnected after her sister died.

“I told her I wanted to go skydiving and she said she’ll do it with me.”

She explained they had the trip planned and were excited about the experience.

“I then got too ill to do it. I was devastated and I was really emotional,” she said.

“On the morning I was crying so much and Liam came to me and said ‘mom, you don’t have to be sad anymore, I will jump for you’, and that was just such a brave thing to do for an eight-year-old,” she said.

She said she and her husband, Gert, are very proud of Liam.

Liam said he is skydiving again on his birthday on March 29.

Bernice said she is also jumping this time.

“We are very excited. Even my five-year-old son wants to jump,” she said.

She explained people on Facebook had mixed opinions about her letting her son skydive, but she said the youngest jumper was only three years old.

“I think more people die by playing rugby,” she said.

She admitted she does not engage with critics on Facebook.

“I don’t allow that negativity in my life,” she said.

JSC head instructor Beverley Cosslett said, “hundreds of children have skydived at their club”.

She said they will accept children of any age on the condition that it is the child’s own choice and they are not forced by an adult.

“We like to take assist at the eight-year mark because this is when you can see they made the decision,” she explained.

She said the oldest person who has jumped at the JSC was 93 years old.

She said they have a weight limit of 100kg due to equipment restrictions.

“People must also have a level of mobility. We will try to accommodate disabled people but it depends on the disability,” she said.

Cosslett said their first priority is always safety.

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