The woman who plunged to her death after jumping from a terminal deck at the Indianapolis International called operators moments before her suicide, officials said.
The airport’s operations center got a call from Ashley Michelle Kidd, 38, on Saturday afternoon and tried to keep her on the phone while desperately trying to find her.
The operators, however, were not able to calm the woman down as police raced to her on an upper terminal deck.
A woman fell to her death at the Indianapolis International Airport. USA TODAY Sports“During the call, the woman became despondent and began to travel away from the location and across the four lanes of vehicle traffic on the upper level of the terminal drive,” airport officials said in a statement.
“There she climbed the retaining wall and fell [50-feet] to the grassy area below.”
Airport public safety personnel arrived at the scene moments later and tried to apply life-saving first aid to the woman, but she did not survive, officials added.
“Our officers and fire crews responded immediately and worked together through CPR and AED support, and every measure available to us,” said Keith Berlen, IAA senior director of operations and public safety.
A woman plunged to her death at the Indianapolis Airport. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The woman who plunged to her death called operators moments before taking her own life. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images“We are all deeply saddened that those efforts could not change the outcome,” Berlen added.
Her cause of death was listed as “Blunt Force of the Trunk and Extremities,” meaning she suffered extensive non-penetrating injuries to every part of her body except her head.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.






