Elderly Couple's Final Act of Devotion: Husband and Wife Jump 180 Feet Together After Terminal Diagnosis

David and Susan Jeffcock were inseparable partners who shared a deep commitment to each other throughout their lives together.

In a heartbreaking act of devotion, an elderly couple chose to end their lives together by jumping from a cliff after one received a terminal bone cancer diagnosis. David, aged 80, and Susan Jeffcock, 74, climbed 199 steps to reach the historic Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, England, where they held hands and jumped from a height of 180 feet.

Authorities were alerted to their deaths when a member of the public reported seeing two bodies on the rocks below. Senior North Yorkshire Coroner Jon confirmed that the provisional cause of death was documented as "multi-trauma" for both individuals.

According to BirminghamLive, David had been enduring an exhausting battle with bone cancer and could no longer bear the associated pain. The couple left a farewell note in their apartment for their solicitor to discover, with David apologizing for any distress their actions might cause.

"Susan wants to come with me," David wrote in his final message. Family members confirmed that Susan had been completely devoted to her husband throughout their 52-year marriage.

The childless couple meant Susan had been David's primary caregiver, watching helplessly as his health deteriorated due to the disease.

David's nephew, Kevin Shepherd, 66, believes the couple may have planned this final act together for some time. Kevin shared that his uncle, who had worked as a taxi and bus driver before retirement, was once a cheerful and outgoing person before illness significantly impacted his quality of life.

"It is extremely sad to think of them in that position, where they both wanted to take their own lives and to go together. But a friend of mine reminded me that they had made up their own minds and they did what they wanted to do, which brings some comfort; it was their own decision," Kevin explained.

David first met Susan in Sheffield around 1970 after she relocated there from her hometown of Hemsworth, West Yorkshire. According to Susan's cousin, Margaret Atherton, the couple fell deeply in love shortly after meeting.

Following David's retirement, the couple moved from Sheffield to coastal areas, a change they both embraced enthusiastically. They initially settled in Skegness before finding their permanent home in Whitby approximately ten years ago when a holiday apartment they frequently enjoyed became available for long-term rent.