Veteran Skydiver Dies in Fall; Police Conclude Suicide
Confirmed Breakup with Boyfriend the Day Before Death
An experienced skydiver in the United Kingdom died after falling without deploying a parachute. Police and the coroner concluded that this was not a simple accident, but an act of suicide.
According to Yonhap News, citing the BBC and other sources, Jade Damarel, a 32-year-old marketing manager, died in a skydiving accident in Somerset, England, on April 27. The report was published on August 23.
Damarel was a veteran who had successfully completed more than 500 jumps, and on the day of the accident, both the weather and her equipment were confirmed to be in normal condition. However, she did not attempt to deploy either her main parachute or her reserve parachute, and she jumped without wearing her usual helmet camera.
Lesley Hamilton, the coroner who investigated the case, concluded that Damarel had taken her own life based on several circumstances. It was confirmed that she had broken up with her long-term boyfriend the day before her death. Her boyfriend was also a skydiver, and the two had reportedly grown close through their shared hobby. Although no suicide note was found, police closed the investigation, determining it to be a case of suicide.
This is not the first time that skydiving has been used as a means of suicide. In 2012, a Dutch skydiver who fell to his death without deploying his parachute was found only after some time had passed, causing a social shock.
According to local media at the time, Mark van den Bugarde, 48, disappeared after jumping during a club event and was found dead in a field near the airfield nine days later. He was reportedly something of a loner among club members and had little contact with family or acquaintances, so no one noticed his disappearance.
Van den Bugarde was an experienced diver who had successfully completed about 120 jumps. However, when his body was found, neither his main parachute nor his reserve parachute had been deployed. Police stated that there was no evidence of equipment malfunction or foul play, and indicated that suicide was the most likely cause.
In 2017, a man in his twenties left a suicide note for his wife just before a skydiving jump ahead of their second wedding anniversary, then jumped and died without deploying his parachute. In 2010, a Belgian woman living in the United States removed her parachute herself during a jump and died. In 2005, a man in his twenties with extensive skydiving experience cut his own parachute lines and ended his life after breaking up with his girlfriend.
If you are struggling with depression or have concerns that are difficult to talk about, or if you have family or acquaintances experiencing such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling through the suicide prevention hotline at ☎109 or the suicide prevention SNS counseling service "Madeleine."
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