The body of a Cambridge student who died after falling from a light aircraft has been found in Madagascar.
Alana Cutland, 19, fell from the plane on July 25 and on Tuesday, local
police chief Sinola Nomenjahary confirmed her body had been located in a “rural area”, reports the BBC.
Cutland had been carrying out research in the remote area of Anjajavy and was on board the aircraft with the pilot and one other passenger.
The plane’s pilot previously said Cutland, from Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, had a headache when she boarded and stayed silent during the flight.
“But for the whole time Alana did not say a word – she just struggled to get away from us,” Mahefa Tahina Rantoanina told The Sun.
“I have no idea why she opened the door but she did. She opened the door and she jumped. The door did not open itself.”
Police photographs recreating Cutland’s final moments appear to show the pilot and the second passenger grasping hold of the victim’s leg as she hangs out of the plane.
It was reported Cutland, from Milton Keynes, suffered “paranoia attacks” while on the research trip to the island, off the east coast of Africa.
Police said she was in regular contact with her parents and was making her way home via the island’s main airport.
Cutland’s uncle said she had been unwell during her time in Madagascar, possibly due to prescription medication.
“She had taken ill after being there for a few days and when she spoke to her mother on the phone two days before the accident she was mumbling and sounded pretty incoherent,” Lester Riley, the brother of Cutland’s mother Alison, told the Mail Online.
“We think she had suffered a severe reaction to some drugs but not anti-malaria ones because she had taken those on her trip last year to
China without any side effects.
“What happened, the family believe, was a tragic accident, not a suicide and we are utterly heartbroken… We don’t think for a moment she deliberately took her own life,” he added.
In a statement released through the Foreign Office, her family paid tribute saying: “Our daughter Alana was a bright, independent young woman, who was loved and admired by all those that knew her.
“Alana grasped every opportunity that was offered to her with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure, always seeking to extend her knowledge and experience in the best ways possible.
“She was particularly excited to be embarking on the next stage of her education, on an internship in Madagascar complementing her studies in natural sciences.
“We are heartbroken at the loss of our wonderful, beautiful daughter, who lit up every room she walked in to, and made people smile just by being there.”
Useful websites and helplines:Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.ukRethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.READ MORE... Did
British Student Who Fell From Madagascan Plane Suffer Severe Medication Reaction? Madagascan Police Investigate Plane Death Of British Student Alana Cutland