Ellie Soutter's mother tells of harrowing moment she learned her daughter was dead

The mother of tragic snowboarder Ellie Soutter has revealed the heartbreaking moment she found out that her daughter had taken her own life.

The rising Team GB star killed herself on her 18th birthday in July last year in remote woodland in Les Gets, France as she struggled to deal with stress and depression.

She had been tipped to represent her country at the 2022 Winter Olympics before her death in July, having won a bronze medal at European Youth Olympics in 2017.

Her mother Lorraine has spoken of the devastating phone call she received from Ellie's father Tony to say her body had been found after the teen had gone missing.

Alarm bells were raised after family and friends had failed to reach the snowboarder on her milestone birthday, leading to French police to search nearby mountains.

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Ellie Soutter killed herself on her 18th birthday in July last year in remote woodland in Les Gets, France as she struggled to deal with stress and depression

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Fifteen months after her death, Lorraine has revealed that she now sports a tattoo of Ellie's favourite photograph (shown) of herself on her arm

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The image, which Lorraine says helps her to feel closer to her daughter, shows Ellie with her arms aloft in a French lake, and represents her 'happiness' and 'freedom'

Speaking to the BBC, veterinary nurse Lorraine said: 'I just said to him "have you seen Ellie? Have you heard from her?", and he said "we've found her".

'For a split second, I thought she was alive. And then he said: "she's dead". He said: "Lorraine, she's dead".

'I got out of bed and I just fell to the floor. Someone might as well have just taken my heart out.'

Lorraine said she and her husband walked the streets near her home in Hove for five hours, but she has no memory of where they went or what they spoke about.

Fifteen months after her death, Lorraine has revealed that she now sports a tattoo of Ellie's favourite photograph of herself on her arm.

The image, which Lorraine says helps her to feel closer to her daughter, shows Ellie with her arms aloft in a French lake, and represents her 'happiness' and 'freedom'.  

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The mother of tragic snowboarder Ellie Soutter has revealed the heartbreaking moment she found out that her daughter had taken her own life

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Lorraine (left) has spoken of the devastating phone call she received from Ellie's father Tony to say her body had been found after the teen (right) had gone missing

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Ellie lived in the French Alps with her father, and was due to represent Team GB at the Junior Snowboard World Championships in New Zealand

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Lorraine explained that she last spoke to Ellie (pictured) the day before she killed herself, and that Ellie had revealed her anguish at missing the flight