On April 5, 2015, Victoria Cilliers survived a 4,000-foot fall after her parachute and reserve chute were sabotaged by her husband, army sergeant Emile Cilliers. She hit the ground at 60 mph, suffering severe injuries, but soft soil may have saved her life. This was Emile’s second murder attempt that week—he had also tried to cause a gas leak at their home.
The British Parachute Association’s investigation revealed the sabotage, pointing to Emile as the culprit. However, Victoria, a victim of coercive control, initially tried to cover up his crime. In court, she explained: “I didn’t know truth or reality… I wanted my husband back.”
Despite her efforts, overwhelming evidence exposed Emile’s motives. Deeply in debt and having an affair, he sought to claim £120,000 in life insurance from Victoria’s death. The jury in his retrial convicted him, and in 2018, Emile was sentenced to life imprisonment, serving a minimum of 18 years.
Victoria’s harrowing story is revisited in The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot, a new docudrama exploring her survival, the investigation, and the court case that brought Emile to justice.
