A Sandown woman who had been struggling with chronic pain and mental health issues took her own life by driving her car off Culver Cliff, an inquest has concluded.
Nichola Irene Merrick, 45, was pronounced dead on 22nd April 2023 after her white Fiat 500 left the road near the Culver battery and plunged around 300ft onto the rocks below. Her vehicle came to rest upside down at the base of the cliff.
A Section 9C inquest – completed in writing by Senior Coroner Caroline Sumeray this week – found that Ms Merrick, a graphic designer of Station Avenue but orignally from Hastings, East Sussex, died as a result of multiple injuries.
The conclusion of the coroner was that she had taken her own life, after hearing how the 45-year-old had been struggling with long-term physical pain and mental health struggles.
The incident prompted a large emergency response shortly before 08:00 in the morning, as reported by Island Echo at the time. HM Coastguard, Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat, Police officers, paramedics and firefighters were all deployed to the scene.
It is understood that the vehicle had travelled across grassland before breaking through fencing and falling from the cliff edge. Coastguard Rescue Teams from Ventnor and Bembridge deployed a cliff technician to reach the wreckage, working alongside lifeboat crew members.
Recovery efforts throughout the day included assistance from the Police Marine Unit. Ms Merrick’s body was eventually taken to Sandown Lifeboat Station, where she was formally pronounced dead.
Nichola’s partner, Mo Gibson, last month raised concerns with the press about how long he had been waiting for closure. Within weeks of going public with his 800+ day wait, the inquest has been concluded.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, you can call The Samaritans in confidence on 116 123. Help is at hand when you need it - you don’t have to be suicidal to get in touch.
That is so very sad poor lady.
Awful for the poor rescue teams who had to recover her body!
RIP X
NHS BOSSES. DRs, POLITICIANS. Please note this tragedy and know as a FACT. Chronic pain is depressing. The combination is DEADLY serious.
I do not know this lady, so I cannot comment as to what she was suffering through.
However NHS has decided to stop using opiates to treat pain unless end of life care. Even for those that have been given opiates as pain management for decades. So, they stop giving them. To replace the pain management with…. Nothing. They say they don’t have anything else to replace as pain management. Leaving chronic pain suffers is agonizing, life changing pain.
The NHS. Bosses have also decided to treat a chronic pain condition with… ANTIDEPRESSANTS!
I do not know what lead this poor lady to this end. But as someone who also suffers chronic pain, the people at the top need to take note.
This will become more frequent unless everyone from politicians to the richest at the top of the NHS needs to see what they are doing to people. Mine, will be on there heads.
I had beeen on opiate pain killers ( Tramulief ) for about 25 years and then suddenly I was told they would be stopped, but luckily I argued with my GP and was put back on them again after suffering withdrawal symptoms and Mental problems.
Could not agree more, this poor lady should have been shown some compassion and received the help she needed, she might not have had end of life pain but the irony is it was pain that caused her to end her life, as for mental health it’s a fairly logical answer, chronic pain leaves you desperate for help, does anyone care, a constant daily battle with pain with no end in sight is torture for the body and the mind, when you know that there is an answer to help deal with your pain through a drug but no one will authorise it your mind cannot cope with that fact, you are left screaming inside and if you are left like this long enough then yes the thought of death does consume you, you don’t want to die but you cannot bear to live, rest in peace lovely lady I am so sorry you were failed by so many people who had the power to help.
It is a disgrace that yet another inquest has taken nearly two and a half years to be concluded. Does our Island Coroner have no thought whatever for the partners, families and friends of people whose deaths are subject to inquest? It is inhumane and frankly it is high time this Coroner was replaced with someone capable.