Experienced Skydiver Dies by Suicide Following Relationship Breakdown

Published: 22 August 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

An experienced skydiver, Jade Damarell, 32, deliberately fell to her death from 15,500 feet the day after ending a relationship, an inquest in County Durham has concluded. The hearing revealed that Ms Damarell, a marketing manager and accomplished parachutist, did not deploy either her main or reserve parachute and had deliberately switched off an automatic activation device (AAD) before descending onto farmland near Shotton Colliery Airfield on 27 April.

The inquest, held at Crook Civic Centre, heard that Ms Damarell had left instructions on the lock screen of her phone detailing access and had recorded notes concerning her finances, demonstrating that she had carefully planned her actions. Coroner Leslie Hamilton returned a conclusion of suicide, confirming that she had intended to end her life that morning.

Born in Hong Kong and residing in Caerphilly, Wales, Ms Damarell was a dedicated skydiver who had completed more than 500 jumps. On the day before her death, she had successfully completed six jumps without incident. According to statements provided during the inquest, her relationship had ended the previous evening; the coroner noted that the couple had met through their shared passion for skydiving but offered no further details of their personal lives.

Bryn Chaffe, co-owner of Sky-High Skydiving, where Ms Damarell jumped, said that she appeared normal in the base’s cafe, eating breakfast and displaying no signs of distress. A post-mortem examination determined that her death resulted from blunt force trauma, and toxicology tests confirmed the absence of alcohol or drugs. Her GP reported that she was not taking any medication at the time.

British Skydiving, which investigated the fatal freefall, confirmed that all her equipment was fully operational. Although Ms Damarell usually wore a helmet-mounted camera, she did not do so on this occasion. The investigation also verified that she had switched off the AAD, a safety device designed to deploy a parachute automatically if a certain speed or altitude is reached, and she was aware that she needed to deploy a parachute before descending below 2,500 feet.

Detective Inspector Andrew Stephenson of Durham Police attended the scene and recovered Ms Damarell’s phone, discovering her notes to family, which included apologies and expressions of gratitude. The evidence confirmed that she had consciously chosen not to use any safety mechanisms during the jump.

Following the inquest, her family expressed profound grief while celebrating her life: “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.”

Jeff Montgomery, head of safety and training at British Skydiving, extended condolences, describing the incident as “extremely tragic” and emphasising the loss felt by the skydiving community.

The case serves as a solemn reminder of the importance of mental health awareness. Individuals in distress are encouraged to seek help; in the United States, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.