Welsh woman, 35, died after being crushed by van during Australian cyclone, inquest hears
Eleanor Thompson was killed in the incident in March
A woman from Wales died after being crushed by her van during a cyclone in Australia, an inquest has heard.
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Eleanor Thompson, who was described as being "full of adventure," was found dead under the vehicle in Burringbar, New South Wales on March 11.
An inquest into her death at Ruthin Coroner's Court in Denbighshire, Wales, on Tuesday heard the region had been hit by Storm Alfred from February 22 up until March 8, but was still feeling the after affects.
Ms Thompson, who was known as Ellie, sent a text message to her mother Amanda 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.
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The court heard she failed to arrive for her shift at a bar on March 10 which prompted friends to visit the house where she had been staying on March 11.
On arrival they saw her Mazda van off the side of the driveway, wedged into overgrown vegetation.
The inquest was told that Ms Thompson’s body was found underneath the vehicle and she was confirmed dead the same day.
A post-mortem examination recorded her cause of death as multiple injuries.
North East Wales coroner John 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, the court heard.
Ms Thompson, 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.
Her father Peter Thompson said: "Ellie's life was full of adventure and movement."
A police report read by Mr 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."
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."