By M10News UK Desk|21 August 2025
An experienced skydiver has been ruled to have deliberately ended her own life after falling from 15,500ft in County Durham.
Jade Damarell, 32, crashed onto farmland near Fleming Field, Shotton Colliery, on April 27 after failing to deploy her parachutes and switching off her automatic safety device, an inquest heard.
Born in Hong Kong and living in Caerphilly, Wales, Ms Damarell was a seasoned parachutist, having completed more than 500 jumps in her life.
She had carried out six jumps safely just the day before her death.
Coroner Leslie Hamilton concluded at Crook Civic Centre that Ms Damarell intended to take her own life.
The inquest revealed that her phone contained instructions on how to disable the device, along with a note apologising to her family.
Ms Damarell’s former partner confirmed their relationship had ended the night before her death. The co-owner of Company Sky-High Skydiving told the inquest that the skydiver appeared normal that morning, eating breakfast before her jump.
A post-mortem examination determined she died from blunt trauma. Toxicology tests were negative for alcohol or drugs.
British Skydiving said their investigation found Ms Damarell did not deploy her main or reserve parachute, despite being aware of the safety requirement to do so before dropping below 2,500ft. Her equipment was confirmed to be in proper working order.
Detective Inspector Andrew Stephenson of Durham Police reported that Ms Damarell landed on her back. The note she left thanked her family for their support and apologised for her actions.
Jeff Montgomery, head of safety and training at British Skydiving, expressed condolences: “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jade Damarell. It is an extremely tragic incident.”
After the inquest, her family paid tribute to Ms Damarell, describing her as “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.”
Editing by M10News UK Desk | Contact: ukdesk@m10news.com
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