A British woman lost her life after being crushed by her campervan while traveling through Australia, according to details revealed during an inquest into the incident.
Eleanor Thompson, 35, was discovered deceased beneath her van in Burringbar, New South Wales, on March 11. According to The Independent and the BBC, she suffered fatal multiple injuries when her campervan rolled off a driveway and down an incline, trapping her underneath.
Eleanor had arrived in Australia in 2023 and was living out of her van while working at a pub in Mullumbimby. At the time of the tragedy, she had been house-sitting for a friend.
When she failed to appear for her shift on March 10, two friends went to check on her. They located the van approximately 65 feet from the house, lodged in overgrown vegetation, with Eleanor’s body beneath the vehicle, the BBC reported.
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Her final message to her mother, Amanda Thompson, was sent just before midday on March 8. No one is known to have seen or spoken with her after 1 p.m. that day, according to testimony given in court.
Although cyclone storm Alfred had swept through New South Wales around that time, the weather is not believed to have played a role in the incident, per reports.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Eleanor died from multiple traumatic injuries, including broken ribs. Her death was classified as accidental.
A coroner’s office in Australia had initially ruled the cause of death as “misadventure.” During the inquest, it was noted that it could not be determined whether the handbrake on the van had been engaged or left off before it rolled, according to the BBC.
Eleanor’s father, Peter Thompson, told the inquest that after visiting the site, he felt there remained unanswered questions about why she had been positioned in front of the vehicle when it moved. He also believes she may have died on March 8.
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“Ellie knew people were concerned; she knew I would be concerned,” he said. “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.”
Her family remembered her as an adventurous, warm-hearted person with a generous and open spirit, as described by the BBC.
