Who was Jade Damarell? Family pays tribute as reports allege skydiver deliberately fell to her death

Experienced skydiver Jade Damarell's tragic passing has sent shockwaves through the skydivers community and raised awareness of mental health issues in extreme sports.

An inquest on August 21 found that the 32-year-old purposely did not deploy her parachute while jumping from 15,000ft over Fleming field, Shotton Colliery, County Durham, earlier this year.

Jade was from Caerphilly, Wales. She was a very proficient parachutist, having undertaken over 500 jumps in her skydiving career. She was described as being “very experienced” in skydiving and investigators revealed she had completed six dives the day prior to the fatal jump.

Tragedy in freefall 32-year-old skydiver Jade Damarell, with 500+ jumps, chose not to open her parachutes after leaving farewell notes.

Family remembers her as extraordinary pic.twitter.com/CkO2WV3Hk1

— The Baraka Show (@TheBarakaShow) August 22, 2025

According to the British Skydiving Association, there was “no attempt” to deploy the main or reserve parachute on the jump she took on April 27. They also found that she turned off her automatic activation device, a device designed to deploy the parachute at a specific altitude, indicating a clear intention.

Sky-High Skydiving, where Jade was a valued and respected member, reacted to the tragic loss by expressing support and encouraging anyone struggling with their emotions to ask for help and support.

"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. At this incredibly difficult time, we ask for privacy and compassion for those grieving," a spokesperson from Sky-High Skydiving added.

A look into the events leading to the tragedy as family provides a heartfelt tribute

The investigation stated that Jade died the morning after she split from her partner, fellow skydiver Ben Goodfellow, aged 26. According to the Daily Mail, they had been together for about eight months and were described by friends as "inseparable," spending all their time skydiving.

A note on Jade's phone, as well as messages to her family with instructions and apologies, showed a positive correlation to the coroner's ruling of suicide. There was no equipment failure and there was no suggestion that the death was being treated as suspicious, an investigation showed.

In a moving statement following the investigation, Jade’s family said they were grateful to the Sky-High Skydiving community, who they believed demonstrated "professionalism and compassion" throughout the whole process.

"Sky-High handled the tragedy and investigation into Jade’s death professionally and with compassion that allowed us to all share in our grief," they said in a statement.

The family added that Jade's mother acknowledged her daughter's legacy, by doing a last tandem jump, in a symbolic way to memorialize her daughter's love of skydiving.

As the community grieves, Jade's story is a reminder of how essential mental health support can be, even for those who never shy away from life at its most intense moments.