Cambridge University student Alana Cutland was ‘staring into space’ in the hours before she jumped to her death from a light aircraft in Madagascar after enduring sleepless nights and bouts of paranoia.
Staff at the conservation project where she was working as an intern have described how her mental health dramatically declined within days of her arrival at the island’s remote Anjajavy nature reserve.
At one point Alana, 19, became so disorientated and confused that she feared being jailed by the authorities in Madagascar if she failed to complete her project on the local population of crabs.
The shocking decline in her mental state led to speculation that she may have suffered an adverse reaction to anti-malarial medication, according to a witness statement released to MailOnline.
The statement by Cédric Martin, the general manager of the luxury Anjajavy Le Lodge hotel which runs the conservation project Alana was working on, describes how she was ‘excited’ and normal when she arrived on July 16.
Cambridge University student Alana Cutland was ‘staring into space’ in the hours before she jumped to her death from a light aircraft in Madagascar after enduring sleepless nights and bouts of paranoia, MailOnline can reveal
Staff at the conservation project where she was working as an intern have described how her mental health dramatically declined within days of her arrival at the island’s remote Anjajavy nature reserve (aerial shot)
The statement by Cédric Martin, the general manager of the luxury Anjajavy Le Lodge hotel (pictured) which runs the conservation project Alana was working on, describes how she was ‘excited’ and normal when she arrived on July 16
Alana was flying back from Anjajavy Le Lodge where she was staying in a remote area in the north of the island (pictured) to the capital where she was due to fly back to the UK at the request of her parents when she is said to have fallen ill
British teacher Ruth Johnson recreated her and the pilot’s attempts to save Alana and stop her from jumping out when she fell from the Cessna-style light aircraft as it flew over Madagascar. The teacher was sat in the back left seat when the student jumped
But within days her health worsened and her parents Neil and Alison Cutland, both 63, became increasingly concerned after a series of fraught telephone conversations with her.
The couple from Milton Keynes finally arranged for Alana to fly home with conservation worker Ruth Johnson, just eight days into her internship which was supposed to last 42 days.
But on the first leg of her journey, she opened the door of the Cessna taking her to Madagascar’s international airport at Antananarivo, and plunged 3,700ft to her death.
Describing her behaviour in the hours before the flight on Thursday last week, Mr Martin said that Mrs Johnson had gone to see Alana to check if she was ready and ‘found her sitting on a chair staring into space.’
Mr Martin said: ‘She immediately called us and I went with the doctor. Her eyes were vacant and she did not seem to have slept.
‘She did not speak, but she was watching us. We found the tablet of sleeping pills not used on the table.
‘Physically she did not seem to have any problems, she could walk and she could hear us.
The shocking decline Alana’s mental state led to speculation that she may have suffered an adverse reaction to anti-malarial medication, according to a witness statement released to MailOnline
‘We accompanied her to the restaurant so she could eat because she had refused to eat a meal the night before.
‘She settled in the restaurant and ate a fruit salad. She also had her mother on the phone before leaving for the airstrip.
‘I accompanied them to the airstrip in the presence of Elodi (the vet on the conservation project) and the doctor. Ruth and Alana boarded the plane.
‘When I returned to the lodge, I contacted Alison, her mother, to inform her that her daughter was on the plane en route to Antananarivo.’
Mr Martin’s statement, released by the director of Madagascar’s air accident investigation bureau, told how Alana was on the island to carry out research on the reproduction and feeding habits of crabs.
The statement said that Alana arrived by light plane on July 16 to ‘carry out species inventories and help create a database of crustaceans’ during her stay which was supposed to last until August 27.
Describing her initial good spirits, Mr Martin said: ‘She seemed excited to be here to conduct her research.
‘We received her on arrival and we talked for one hour to introduce her to the lodge, the Protected Area and her internship.
‘She then moved into her room (bushcamp # 5) and Dr Elodi, our vet, gave her a guided tour of the lodge. In the days that followed, Alana began her research with Dr Elodi.’
Mr Martin said it was agreed that Alana would spend her first few days ‘scouting’ the area and planning how to do her research.
He added: ‘Every night we did a quick fix on her day and everything seemed normal. She dined regularly with English teachers that we also welcome at the lodge.’
But things took a turn for the worse on July 20 when Alana asked for an interview ‘to express her concern’ that she was having trouble finalising her research.
Mr Martin said: ‘We immediately reassured her that she was on an internship and that the important thing was that she learn on the ground. Following these concerns, we asked Dr Elodi to accompany her in all her research so that she could become autonomous.’
The following day her spirits seemed to be raised after she went to visit the local village of Anjajavy with teachers from the project.
Mr Martin said: ‘The visit pleased her very much and especially the meeting with the children of the school.’ But the next day on Monday last week, her health seemed to have deteriorated again and she requested a new meeting with managers.
Mr Martin said: ‘She began to show some signs of paranoia by telling me that she was afraid to end up in prison in Madagascar if she did not finish her research. After that she told me ‘It’s sound silly when I say it out loud’.’
At one point Alana, 19, became so disorientated and confused that she feared being jailed by the authorities in Madagascar if she failed to complete her project on the local population of crabs
Anjajavy resort in Madagascar where, Alana Cutland, was staying and carrying out research into local rare species of crab
Alana was due to fly home from Anjajavy resort (pictured) just eight days into her internship which was supposed to last 42 days
Alana was accompanied in her interview by Mrs Johnson who later desperately tried in vain to save her by grabbing her leg to stop her plunging out of the plane.
Mr Martin said: ‘I reassured her again that if she was having trouble doing her research, it was OK.
‘She seemed stressed and told me about her difficulties sleeping, so I offered her a rest the next day and to try to enjoy the environment and relax.
‘In the late afternoon, she went to see the doctor for a complete check up. Knowing some adverse effects of anti-malarial drugs, we advised her to stop her treatment and the doctor gave her sleeping pills so she could sleep.
‘In the night, I received an email from Alana’s father who shared his concerns about his daughter.’
Air accident investigators in Madagascar probing the tragedy revealed that Alana’s father told staff at the hotel that she had no previous history of anxiety, panic attacks or mental health issues.
Investigators say tragic Alana opened the door to the out of the four-seater Cessna 182 (pictured) five minutes into the journey over Madagascar – just minutes after being given safety instructions on how to open the door in an emergency
Alana, 19, fell from 3,700 feet at around 130mph to the ground which is made of of lakes, marsh land and forest. The area (pictured) is populated by carnivorous wild animals and experts searching for her body fear she may never be found
Alana, a second-year Cambridge University Biological Natural Sciences student, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, is pictured on a family holiday two years ago with her younger brother and father Neil, who runs an energy consultancy
He thanked them for their support and expressed fears that she was suffering from paranoia for an unknown reason and was in need of medical support.
Mr Martin said he talked on the phone on Tuesday last week to Alana’s mother ‘to determine what was happening and take appropriate action’.
He added: ‘She told me that they had trouble recognising their daughter and that it would be best if she returned because they were worried about her condition.
‘So we started organising her return by plane with Ruth Johnson, one of the teachers with whom she talked a lot and who volunteered to take her home to England.’
Mahefa Tahina Rantoanina, 33, a pilot with Madagascar Trans Air for 13 years, said he had no idea why Alana had jumped
Alana stated the next day that she wanted to stay, but wanted to drop her research into crabs and to instead start studying Aye-Aye long-fingered lemurs and the island’s cat-like Fossa predators.
But he went on: ‘Following Alison’s email and new phone conversations, her parents made the decision to repatriate her on the next flight and we booked a seat on the flight on Thursday, July 26th.
‘In the evening she arrived in the lobby ready to leave and a little disoriented. The teachers explained that the departure was the next day and Ruth Johnson was to keep Alana’s suitcase in her room before taking her home.’
Alana opened the right door of the four-seater Cessna 182 when it was at 3,700ft within minutes of taking off and tried to launch herself out over an area of dense forest, a lake and swamps.
The pilot desperately tried to shut the door with one hand while controlling the plane with his other hand.
Mrs Johnson grabbed hold of the teenager’s leg as the upper half of her body hung out of the plane.
Air accident investigators believe that Mrs Johnson managed to hold on to her for up to two minutes as the plane rocked from side to before Alana slipped from her grasp and plunged to her death.
Her body has still not been found despite an intensive search involving spotter planes as well as local villagers and police teams on the ground.