A 24-YEAR-OLD woman died after falling from a bridge following a row with her boyfriend at a work Christmas party, an inquest heard.
Emma Bundy had climbed over safety railings on a pedestrian overbridge on the A379 near Sandy Park in Exeter, , where a member of the public desperately tried to save her.
Emma’s death has been ruled an accident
The 24-year-old was celebrating a work Christmas party when tragedy struck
The assistant manager passed away from injuries to her neck and chest
The hearing at Exeter Coroner’s Court was told Emma, an assistant site manager with Bovis Homes, had been attending a delayed work Christmas party at the Sandy Park conference venue at the end of January 2025.
During the evening, she became upset following a disagreement with her boyfriend, Billy Fleming, linked to something said by a colleague.
She then left the venue and headed towards the bridge, with Mr Fleming following behind.
George Harris, who had been waiting nearby to collect his daughter from the event, saw Emma in distress near the bridge.
He said Mr Fleming returned alone shortly afterwards and, when asked if Emma was alright, described her as being “off her head”.
Concerned, Mr Harris went to look for Emma and found her clinging to the outside of the bridge, holding on with her hands.
He called emergency services and tried to help, holding onto her wrists and urging her to keep hold.
Mr Harris told the court she was crying and extremely distressed.
Despite his efforts over several minutes, Emma slipped from his grasp and fell onto the road below.
She died from injuries to her chest and neck.
Mr Fleming had returned to his hotel room before the tragic fall, but was later informed by police of what had taken place.
He described Emma as “‘beautiful, kind hearted and would move mountains for anyone”.
Police have said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death and the coroner ruled it an accident.
Toxicology reports found that Emma had alcohol in her system when she died, and that it likely affected her judgement.
Senior Devon coroner, Philip Spinney, said: “She did not intentionally end her life. She was trying to stop herself from falling.
“It is unclear how she came to be on the wrong side of the safety barriers and was trying to stop herself falling.
“She was upset at something a work colleague had said earlier that evening.”
“It is more likely than not she acted impulsively and did not intend to end her life, this was a tragic accident.”
The assistant site manager was well praised within the industry, having turned her life around after facing homelessness.
She has previously spoken out about her gratitude for her job, including the levels of support she received.
How to get help
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net , 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk , 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org , 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org , 116 123
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
