Warning: This article contains references to anxiety, depression and suicide. If you need somebody to talk to, please reach out to Samaritans by calling 116 123 (their phone lines are open 24/7) or emailing jo@samaritans.org.
An inquest has heard how a young British woman, Sarah Harvey, 34, jumped to her death from the 54th floor of the Marina Torch tower in Dubai. It has been reported that the former air hostess-turned-PA was suffering from anxiety and depression at the time.
Originally from the village of Rainow, near Macclesfield, Cheshire, it's believed that Sarah left five notes expressing her "sorrow at what she was about to do". She fell twenty four floors on 16 August 2016, before landing on a balcony on the 30th floor and sustaining multiple injuries. Sarah very sadly died at the scene.
A statement from her family, according to The Mirror, was read out at the inquest, detailing the notes that Sarah had left and how friends had noticed a change in her behaviour in the few weeks leading up to her passing:
"[Sarah's] general health in the final months appeared excellent. There were visits to the UK and phone calls, but they revealed nothing and she acted very well. Sarah discussed with us that she was being prescribed anti-depressants but she didn’t elaborate to the depth of her despair.
"Her friends had noticed a change in her normal going out appearance in the final weeks and they recommended that she sought help, which she did do. But she had made no attempts on her life of any serious nature, other than in her first year of university, when she suffered with self doubt in her ability. This was swiftly corrected on her examination.
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The notes that where found, there were five in total, were addressed to different individuals. In these notes Sarah expressed her sorrow about what she’s about to do but that she cannot live any longer with her anxiety and depression. And she was expressing a desire to end it.”
A member of Dubai's police forensics department, Dr Fawzi Benomran confirmed that there were no traces of alcohol or narcotics in Sarah's system when she died, but confirmed that a "low concentration of anti-depressants" had been discovered.
Our thoughts are with Sarah's friends and family.
If you need somebody to talk to, please reach out to Samaritans by calling 116 123 (their phone lines are open 24/7) or emailing jo@samaritans.org.
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
