UK Parachutist Jumped To Death A Day After Boyfriend Broke Up With Her: Report

Highly-experienced parachutist Jade Damarell, 32, believed to have deliberately jumped to her death last month, had been dumped by her boyfriend the night before, according to a report in the New York Post. Ms Damarell did not deploy her parachute and tragically plunged over 10,000 feet to her death at Shotton Colliery in County Durham on April 28.

Ms Damarell, with over 400 successful parachute jumps to her name, had a falling out with fellow skydiver Ben Goodfellow, 26, a day before the fateful leap. As per an anonymous friend, Ms Damarell and Mr Goodfellow had been dating for around eight months and were "inseparable".

"They spent all their time together, they didn't really engage with anyone else. They did skydives together all the time," the friend said, adding that they had been living in a double room at a property near the airfield.

However, the night before the jump, Mr Goodfellow decided to call time on the relationship. "The night before Jade died, Ben called off the relationship. He went to work the next day, and that's when Jade fell to her death."

Another friend claimed a suicide note was found by police "referencing the break up".

"I know Jade had broken it off with Ben a few times, but the Saturday was the first time he had called it off with her. Ben is a quiet guy - he is absolutely distraught by what has happened."

While Ms Damarell served as a marketing manager for Silver Spoon after graduating from Leeds University, Mr Goodfellow worked as a technician at car manufacturer Nissan. He is also the lead singer and guitarist in Sunderland indie band Post Rome.

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'Deliberate act'

While the death was assumed accidental initially, SkyHigh Skydiving later stated that they were given "all indications" from police that "this was a deliberate act".

"All indications from the police and British Skydiving are that this was a deliberate act taken to end her own life," the agency said.

"This heartbreaking news has deeply affected all who knew her, and our thoughts are with her family and friends as they face this unimaginable loss."