Campaigner died in crash while filming Apple series

A campaigner who raised nearly £1m for charity during her life was "excited" about taking part in a microlighting filming project for an Apple headset before she died, an inquest has heard.

Claire Lomas began fundraising after a 2007 horse riding accident left her paralysed, with her efforts including completing the 2012 London Marathon in a "bionic" suit.

Her inquest was told Lomas was flying an adapted microlight in Jordan on 15 July 2024 when it veered off a road after landing and crashed into a large rock.

The court heard she was then taken to the King Hussein Medical Centre, where Lomas's condition improved before she had a "sudden deterioration" and died on 22 August.

Louise Pinder, senior coroner for Rutland and North Leicestershire, said Lomas's provisional cause of death was multiple severe traumatic injuries.

The inquest, which is being held at County Hall, heard Lomas - from Eye Kettleby, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire - was in Jordan to take part in an Apple-commissioned series called Adventure, which involved filming athletes in "spectacular" locations.

Lina Zilinskaite, senior producer for Atlantic Productions - the company commissioned to film the series - said the firm reached out to Lomas about taking part in a microlighting project.

Zilinskaite told the inquest Lomas was "really delighted" about the opportunity and the company was "reassured" that she had some previous experience with media.

"She was very enthusiastic and keen and excited about the opportunity," Zilinskaite said.

The court heard she had obtained a licence to fly a microlight - a type of small aircraft - a few years before and had limited experience of about 150 hours.

Zilinskaite said the company contacted Ben Ashman, from Flylight Airsports, about her limitations, which informed them she was a "talented pilot" but needed assistance getting in and out of the microlight.

The inquest heard a camera was mounted to the microlight, and tests were carried out with Ashman and Lomas flying the microlight with the camera.

Zilinskaite told the court Lomas was "very happy" and it seemed she had "no concerns".

The court was told Lomas flew to Jordan on 10 July 2024 - and the challenge was initially earmarked to take place on 14 July, however, it did not take place as it was "too windy".

On 15 July, the inquest heard Zilinskaite and Ashman were at the filming location at about 04:00, when they had a conversation about the wind being "good".

However, she added Ashman was "concerned" about a Facebook post from Lomas the night before - and they decided to have a conversation with her at the hotel about whether she wanted to go ahead with the challenge.

Zilinskaite said Lomas was "enthusiastic" and was "absolutely sure she wanted to fly".

The inquest heard the flight took about 15 minutes - with Ashman landing and clearing the runway before Lomas made her approach.

Zilinskaite said she raised her phone to record Lomas's landing, however she did not press record as Lomas's approach "wasn't quite straight on".

She added she did not see the crash as her view was blocked - but said Lomas was taken by ambulance to Petra, then taken by air ambulance to Amman.

Lomas was "excited" to come home with her family after spending weeks in hospital but then contracted an infection and deteriorated, the inquest heard.

The coroner said Lomas's relatives were concerned about the care she received at the hospital in Jordan, but added it was not within her jurisdiction to investigate that formally.

Lomas was told she would never walk again after she was thrown from her horse at the Osberton Horse Trials in Nottinghamshire in 2007, but a suit with mechanical legs, called ReWalk, helped her to take her first steps again at a rehabilitation centre in East Yorkshire five years later.

The suit used braces to support the legs, motors to help rotate joints, weight and motion sensors and a battery pack.

Feet sensors detected when weight was lifted, motion sensors detected hip movement and upper-body sensors helped control movement.

Lomas was the first person in the UK to use the ReWalk suit and wore it to complete the 2012 London Marathon in 17 days.

She used it again to complete the Great North Run in 2016, earning the nickname "bionic woman" for her achievements.

Lomas was also selected to light the Paralympic flame in 2012 and was appointed MBE in 2017 for her fundraising efforts.

Before her death Lomas raised £925,000 for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation - a charity committed to funding research into curing spinal cord injury.

Her husband Dan Spincer and best friend Stuart Hall took the total she raised for charity past £1m - and vowed to continue raising money in her memory.

The hearing was not attended by Lomas's family members, because it was "too painful" being so close to the anniversary of her death, her relatives' representative Ben Bradley KC said.

The inquest continues.

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