A skydiver tragically lost her life after a fatal jump from 15,500ft, with reports indicating she parted ways with her boyfriend just before the incident. Jade Damarell, 32, a marketing manager from Caerphilly, Wales, and a native of Hong Kong, had completed over 400 skydives and was considered an experienced skydiver. Despite successfully completing six jumps the day before, she did not activate her parachute or the backup device on the day of the fatal jump, resulting in her sustaining multiple injuries upon impact.
The investigation revealed that there were no malfunctions in her equipment, and the backup system, known as Automatic Activation Device (AAD), could have prevented the tragedy if activated. Her boyfriend, Ben Goodfellow, confirmed the end of their relationship the night before the incident, noting that they had initially connected through their shared passion for skydiving. The coroner, Dr. Leslie Hamilton, ruled her death as suicide, offering condolences to her family.
Before her final jump, Jade left notes for her family and detailed passwords for her financial accounts. She did not deploy her parachute during the dive, leading to her tragic demise from blunt trauma upon landing. Her family, acknowledging the coroner’s findings, expressed gratitude for the support received and praised the skydiving community for their compassion. A GoFundMe campaign has been set up in memory of Jade to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation UK, aiming to fulfill the wishes of children with critical illnesses.