A coroner's court has heard the harrowing final words of a young woman who fell to her death during a skydiving experience, in a tragedy that has raised serious questions about safety procedures.
Jade Damarell, a 21-year-old from Surrey, was on a tandem jump with the North London Skydiving Centre at Hibaldstow Airfield in North Lincolnshire on 9th March 2024 when the incident occurred. The inquest, opened in Lincoln this week, was told that moments after exiting the aircraft, the instructor realised the main parachute had deployed incorrectly.
'We've got a problem here'
In a desperate bid to avert disaster, the instructor attempted to cut away the malfunctioning main chute to deploy the reserve. Witnesses on the ground heard him shout the chilling words, "We've got a problem here", as the pair began to spin uncontrollably towards the ground from 4,000 feet.
Despite the instructor's efforts, they were unable to stabilise their descent. The reserve parachute did deploy but was not fully functional due to the spin, leading to a catastrophic impact.
Emergency Response and Investigation
Emergency services, including the air ambulance, were scrambled to the scene. Tragically, Jade was pronounced dead a short time later. The tandem instructor was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.
The inquest has been adjourned pending further investigations by the British Parachute Association and police to determine the exact cause of the equipment failure. The coroner is awaiting a full post-mortem report and evidence from experts.
The skydiving centre expressed its deepest condolences to Jade's family and friends, stating it is "fully cooperating with all relevant authorities" to understand how this devastating incident happened.
