A British model who climbed over a fence and fell off a cliff at a notorious ‘selfie spot’ in Australia had taken a cocktail of drugs and consumed alcohol, an inquest has heard.
Madalyn Davis, 21, had been watching the sunrise at Diamond Bay in the east of Sydney when she fell 100ft from the clifftop on the morning of January 11.
A mixture of drugs and alcohol were found to have had ‘a significant contribution’ with MDMA, ketamine, cocaine and high amounts of alcohol discovered in her system, an inquest held at Nottingham’s Council House heard.
Ms Davis, who studied at Retford Oaks Academy in Nottinghamshire, was on a 12-month travelling trip to Thailand and Australia with a friend when the tragedy took place.
Madalyn Davis, 21, fell from a cliff at Diamond Bay in the east of Sydney, Australia, on the morning of January 11
The inquest held on December 21, was told Ms Davis had been consuming drugs and alcohol at a party before a group of eight decided to venture to the popular beauty spot to watch the sunrise.
Witness statements said the group climbed over a fence to access the site and then continued to walk down the side of the cliff.
Assistant coroner Gordon Clow said the substances she had taken would have ‘impaired her decision making, balance and coordination.’
Senior police officers at the scene said witnesses who had been with Ms Davis described how they crossed ‘the wrong side of the barriers to take great photos.’
The inquest heard how Ms Davis had walked on with three males before one shouted: ‘She has gone. She has fallen. She has gone.’
Emergency services arrived at the scene at 6.32am followed by water rescue, divers, and local fishing boats which were called in to search for Ms Davis and she was eventually found below the surface of the sea.
The inquest described the site as ‘a selfie hotspot’, particularly popular with wedding couples, offering an ‘exceptional’ view of the location.
Following the tragedy, Ms Davis’s family described her as a ‘very outgoing’ person who ‘liked eating out with friends’.
An inquest heard how Ms Davis and a group of friends decided to venture to the popular beauty spot to watch the sunrise when they climbed over a fence to access the site
Ms Davis was on a 12-month travelling trip to Thailand and Australia with a friend when the tragedy occurred
The young tourist was at a party in Vaucluse and went to the nearby 100ft Diamond Bay cliffs with seven friends at about 6.30am
The incident has been concluded as non-suspicious and the coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure.
He said the cause of death was multiple injuries with significant contributions being mixed drug and alcohol use.
The coroner said: ‘This is a great trauma and tragedy of a young person’s life cut short by alcohol and illicit drugs. This was a death that took place at a local beauty spot that people enjoy.
‘It is not the first death at that area and sadly it will not be the last. It is a great tragedy of a young person trying to live life to the full.’
This year a GoFundMe page set up in memory of Ms Davis by her family described her as an ‘introverted extrovert’ and a ‘good person that always saw the best in people’.
The statement read: ‘Madalyn was an introverted extrovert. She struggled with a world that could be so unkind, and was a good person that always saw the best in people.
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‘Sadly, sometimes that was taken advantage of. She believed in universal oneness, the fundamental belief that she couldn’t hurt another human being, as to do so she would hurt herself.
‘This caused a lot of pain in her life, as a lot of people don’t believe in this sentiment and therefore this left her vulnerable to abuse, resentment and manipulation.
‘Despite this, Maddie still faced every day with optimism, and a smile on her face. She was determined to find the better place that she hoped the world could be.’
Statement from Madalyn Davis’ mother and father
On January 12 our world span on an axis we hope no one else will have to endure – our beloved daughter was taken from us following a tragic accident. Combined with this devastating news, family and friends have been hounded by trolls.
Madalyn was an introverted extrovert. She struggled with a world that could be so unkind, and was a good person that always saw the best in people. Sadly, sometimes that was taken advantage of.
She believed in universal oneness, the fundamental belief that she couldn’t hurt another human being, as to do so she would hurt herself.
This caused a lot of pain in her life, as a lot of people don’t believe in this sentiment and therefore this left her vulnerable to abuse, resentment and manipulation.
‘Madalyn packed more into her short years than we could possibly have hoped for. She was an inspiration to many, including us as parents,’ her mother wrote
Despite this, Maddie still faced every day with optimism, and a smile on her face. She was determined to find the better place that she hoped the world could be.
Madalyn found fame inadvertently through the expression of her art which she shared via social media.
This enabled her to find a way to function it this world that could be so judgmental and cruel, she was acutely aware of this contradiction but her passion and zest for life meant she was able to continually overcome it.
Madalyn’s inquisitive nature and her artistic drive in finding inspiration for her work soon led her to want to explore new cultures and travel the world which of course as parents, we fully supported.
So, over the last few months Madalyn had the opportunity to live her dream if only for a bittersweet space of time.
We couldn’t be prouder of our most beautiful girl for everything she achieved and the lives she touched.
She packed more into her short years than we could possibly have hoped for. She was an inspiration to many, including us as parents.
Her accidental passing has been so sudden and has rocked us to our core. There will forever be a hole in our lives that will never be filled, a hole our family can barely face comprehending.
‘My daughter was not self obsessed she was a wonderful beautiful person that made a mistake,’ she wrote
Can we please at this difficult time and in our deepest grief that all speculation and character assassination cease, if not for us as her mum and dad, then for Madalyn’s little brother and sister who are hardly able to process this awful loss.
We hope this is a pain that nobody else has to ever endure. Being able to read messages of support has given us so much strength, and we want to thank you for these kind words.
Sadly, we have also had to read some abhorrent comments and vile opinions on Madalyn’s Instagram profile.
We cannot comprehend how at such a traumatic time, a select few can be so heartless and target the most vulnerable suffering such acute emotional pain.
Madalyn was a daughter, a sister, a friend, a cousin, a niece, a granddaughter, and above all the most amazing woman whom we are all so proud of. She has been taken from us too soon.
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