PREGNANT WOMAN DIES IN 10-STOREY FALL; BABY SURVIVES

Emma Atkinson, a mother-of-five, died after falling from the ninth floor of Shakespeare Towers in Burmantofts, Leeds, on 22 October 2024, but her unborn daughter was delivered alive. Ms Atkinson, 38, was more than seven months pregnant at the time. A coroner concluded that she "deliberately propelled herself" through the window, though it remained unclear whether she had intended to take her own life. Her daughter was delivered by emergency Caesarean section within 30 minutes of the fall at Leeds General Infirmary.

An inquest heard that Ms Atkinson had visited her father David Atkinson, who lived on the ninth floor. Mr Atkinson told police that his daughter entered the living room, sat on the back of a chair and began smoking a cigarette by the window. He stated that she removed the safety catches from the window and opened it fully. When he questioned what she was doing and urged her to close it due to the cold, she responded that she was "just getting some fresh air". Detective Constable Emily Parnham confirmed that the fall at 10.20am had been captured on CCTV, and Ms Atkinson "did not appear to be distressed" on the recording.

The coroner recorded a narrative conclusion after the inquest could not determine whether Ms Atkinson's death was suicide or an accident. Paramedics who attended the scene found that Ms Atkinson had not survived the fall, and subsequent treatment focused on attempting to save the baby. The child survived without serious harm.