Woman, 35, crushed by van during Australia cyclone, inquest hears

A woman whose life was “full of adventure” died when she was crushed by her van at the end of a tropical cyclone in Australia, an inquest has heard.

Eleanor Thompson, known as Ellie, was pronounced dead after she was found under the vehicle in Burringbar, New South Wales, on March 11, an inquest at Ruthin Coroner’s Court heard on Tuesday.

In a statement which was read to the coroner’s court, her father Peter Thompson said: “Ellie made everyone feel seen and valued.”

The 35-year-old, originally from Mold, Flintshire, had lived in London for 12 years, where she worked in insurance, marketing and events including for Apple TV and the Groucho Club, before travelling solo to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam in 2022.

After returning to the UK for a period, she travelled to Australia in 2023 where she had been converting a van and had promised her father a road trip later in the year, the inquest heard.

Mr Thompson said: “Ellie’s life was full of adventure and movement.”

At the time of her death, Miss Thompson was working in a pub in Mullabimby, New South Wales, and housesitting for a friend in Burringbar.

A police report read by North East Wales coroner John Gittins said: “Although no causal link can be drawn, it’s of significance at the time of her passing an unprecedented and severe tropical cyclone, Alfred, was impacting the region.

The inquest heard the storm lasted from February 22 to March 8, and its impacts were felt into the morning of March 11.

Miss Thompson sent a text message to her mother, Amanda Thompson, just before midday on March 8 and then saw a friend, but had not been identified as speaking to anyone else after 1pm that day, the court was told.

She failed to arrive for her shift at work on March 10.

The inquest was told friends went to the house where she had been staying on March 11 and saw her Mazda van off the side of the driveway, wedged into overgrown vegetation.

Ms Thompson’s body was found underneath the vehicle and she was confirmed dead shortly after midday on March 11.

A post-mortem examination recorded her cause of death as multiple injuries.

Mr Gittins said police in Australia were of the opinion that the vehicle had rolled or slid forward because of the incline of the slope, or inclement weather.

Other factors may have been a failure to apply the handbrake, police said.

Mr Thompson told the inquest the family had visited the site and the “unanswered element” was why Miss Thompson was in front of her vehicle when it rolled forward.

The family said they believed she had died on March 8, as she had not been in touch with anyone since then.

Mrs Thompson said: “Ellie knew people were concerned, she knew I would be concerned.

“I would definitely have had a text on Sunday because in the text on Saturday she promised she would be in touch the next day.”

After recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Gittins thanked Ms Thompson’s parents and brother Luke for attending the inquest.

He added: “You must be incredibly proud.”

Mrs Thompson said: “The tributes we had on social media and from her friends, people who spoke at the funeral, it was truly, truly moving. It really has given us great comfort.”