gmb45
3rd June, 2009, 06:20 AM
Suicide Cliff Jump: Parents 'Devoted' To Son
A grieving couple who jumped to their deaths off cliffs at Beachy Head with the body of their dead son were dedicated parents who lived for their boy, friends say.
The victims have been named as Neil Puttick, 34, his Japanese wife Kazumi, 44, and son Samuel, aged five, of Westbury, Wiltshire.
Mr and Mrs Puttick jumped off the cliffs with two rucksacks, one containing Samuel's body and the other carrying toys.
All three bodies were found about 400ft down the notorious suicide spot, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, on Sunday evening.
The child died on Friday evening after being discharged from hospital, where he had been treated for meningitis.
His parents had asked for him to be allowed to come home to die after doctors told them he would not recover from the illness.
Samuel was confined to a wheelchair following a car crash when he was 18-months-old and his parents looked after him with the help of nurses and carers. He was taken ill with meningitis a week ago.
Neighbour and friend Sue Capon, who owns Brokerswood Country Park opposite the Putticks' home, said: "We are all absolutely devastated.
"It was such a shock today, they were the most dedicated parents you could wish to meet.
"Sam was adorable, a delight and I feel privileged to have been close to him during his short life.
"He never complained, he was always happy and full of smiles. He loved tractors and the chickens.
"Neil and Kazumi gave 110% to Sam, they used to come to the park, feed the ducks and enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside."
Mrs Capon said the parents, who converted their home to accommodate Sam's disabilities, would have struggled to carry on without him.
She said: "They lived for Sam and they loved to have him to themselves on Saturday and Sunday when the carers didn't work.
"Their life was Sam and without him their life did not mean anything to them. They were devoted to one another as well as to their child and it's just such a sad ending."
Coastguards spotted their bodies on Sunday part-way down the cliff-face. Sussex Police confirmed Mr and Mrs Puttick had committed suicide.
An average of 20 people jump from the 500ft cliffs at Beachy Head every year, according to the chaplaincy team set up to prevent people committing suicide
A grieving couple who jumped to their deaths off cliffs at Beachy Head with the body of their dead son were dedicated parents who lived for their boy, friends say.
The victims have been named as Neil Puttick, 34, his Japanese wife Kazumi, 44, and son Samuel, aged five, of Westbury, Wiltshire.
Mr and Mrs Puttick jumped off the cliffs with two rucksacks, one containing Samuel's body and the other carrying toys.
All three bodies were found about 400ft down the notorious suicide spot, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, on Sunday evening.
The child died on Friday evening after being discharged from hospital, where he had been treated for meningitis.
His parents had asked for him to be allowed to come home to die after doctors told them he would not recover from the illness.
Samuel was confined to a wheelchair following a car crash when he was 18-months-old and his parents looked after him with the help of nurses and carers. He was taken ill with meningitis a week ago.
Neighbour and friend Sue Capon, who owns Brokerswood Country Park opposite the Putticks' home, said: "We are all absolutely devastated.
"It was such a shock today, they were the most dedicated parents you could wish to meet.
"Sam was adorable, a delight and I feel privileged to have been close to him during his short life.
"He never complained, he was always happy and full of smiles. He loved tractors and the chickens.
"Neil and Kazumi gave 110% to Sam, they used to come to the park, feed the ducks and enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside."
Mrs Capon said the parents, who converted their home to accommodate Sam's disabilities, would have struggled to carry on without him.
She said: "They lived for Sam and they loved to have him to themselves on Saturday and Sunday when the carers didn't work.
"Their life was Sam and without him their life did not mean anything to them. They were devoted to one another as well as to their child and it's just such a sad ending."
Coastguards spotted their bodies on Sunday part-way down the cliff-face. Sussex Police confirmed Mr and Mrs Puttick had committed suicide.
An average of 20 people jump from the 500ft cliffs at Beachy Head every year, according to the chaplaincy team set up to prevent people committing suicide