Inquest finds that Jade Damarell, 32, failed to open her main and reserve parachutes and switched off an automatic activation device
An experienced skydiver deliberately fell to her death from 15,500ft the day after her relationship ended, an inquest was told.
Jade Damarell, 32, did not release her main parachute or the reserve and switched off an automatic activation device (AAD) before she crashed on to farmland in Shotton Colliery, Co Durham, on April 27.
She left instructions on how to access the handset on the lock screen of her phone and left notes and details of her finances in its Notes app, the inquest at Crook Civic Centre, Co Durham, was told.
The coroner Leslie Hamilton recorded a verdict of suicide.
Damarell, a marketing manager who was born in Hong Kong and lived in Caerphilly, Wales, had completed more than 500 jumps including six theday before she died.
Hamilton summarised a statement from her former partner which said that “they had ended their relationship the night before” and had met through a shared love of skydiving.
Bryn Chaffe, the co-owner of Sky-High Skydiving where she jumped, said he saw Damarell eating toast in the base’s café before her jump and everything seemed normal.
A post-mortem examination found she died from blunt trauma injuries. Toxicological tests were negative for drink or drugs and she was not on medication at the time.
British Skydiving, which investigated the incident, found that all the equipment was in working order. It said Damarell would normally wear a camera on her helmet but did not have one on at the time of her fatal freefall.
It confirmed she had an AAD, which was designed to activate a parachute at a certain speed or altitude, but it was later found she had switched it off. Damarell was aware that she had to release a parachute before she dropped below 2,500ft, the inquest was told.
Detective Inspector Andrew Stephenson, of Durham police, attended the scene and recovered her phone with the instructions on its lock screen. Damarell had left a note for her family “apologising and thanking them for their support”, Stephenson’s report said.
Hamilton concluded that the “very experienced” skydiver chose not to release either of her parachutes or use the AAD and that she did intend to take her own life. Her family said they accepted the coroner’s conclusion and thanked the skydiving community for their support.
Her parents, Liz and Andrew Samuel, observed the hearing remotely. In a statement they said: “Our beloved daughter Jade was a brilliant, beautiful, brave and truly extraordinary person. A bright, adventurous, free spirit, she lived with immense energy, passion and love and touched countless lives with her warmth and kindness.
“By speaking openly and without shame, we hope to contribute to a culture where mental ill-health is met with kindness and support, and where people in deep distress, and those around them, feel seen, believed, and able to reach for support without fear of judgment.
“We miss Jade beyond words, but Jade’s love, brilliance, courage and light will live on in our family and among all those who knew and loved her. Some stars are so bright, they burn through their time too quickly, but their light never truly fades.”
