TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about suicide, which may be triggering to some.
A family in England is still trying to pick up the pieces after a woman’s unexpected death. Abigail Garside was found hanged in a park only hours after celebrating her first wedding anniversary with her husband. Those who loved her were devastated, but their devastation was soon joined by shock. It seems that despite seeming to be happy, Garside took her own life. Now her family has to reconcile with their loss and try to make sense of what happened.
Her body was found by a passer-by in a Harrogate, North Yorkshire, park around 6:15 a.m., the Daily Mail reported.
“My absolute world, my best friend and my beautiful darling wife. I will love you forever and you will never leave my heart xxx,” her husband, Sam Garside, wrote in a Facebook post about her death.
Her sister Sophie Lightbown also wrote about the woman’s death on social media. “My heart is broken into a million pieces, knowing I’m not going to see her beautiful face one more time or just to be able to call her for a chat. I can’t even describe the pain I’m in. Heaven gained an angel way before her time,” she wrote.
According to the Daily Mail, the coroner’s court revealed this week that Garside had been found hanged. Additionally, authorities ruled out suspicious circumstances, leaving her family shocked and confused.
“What happened with Abigail just goes to show the wisdom in what the Samaritans always say – that a person’s inner distress isn’t always outwardly visible,” a friend of hers told the outlet after hearing the news. “It’s been enormously upsetting for everyone who knew her and that’s almost been compounded by so many who knew her all believing she was so happy.”
Abigail Garside didn’t give any indication that she was unhappy. Not even three weeks before celebrating her wedding anniversary, she revealed that she and her husband would be moving to Australia.
“We’ve been keeping a secret,” she wrote in a Facebook post from Melbourne, Australia. “This is our new future home.” She followed that post with another one featuring the couple’s three dogs, who were joining them for the move.
“Both of them were so excited about moving to Australia. They had been back and forth and fell in love with the country,” another friend told the Daily Mail. “None of us can believe that just a day after celebrating their first wedding anniversary, she’s gone. It’s beyond heartbreaking.”
Abigail Garside, who was an accomplished champion horse rider, was laid to rest on September 2, 2025, a Facebook post from her husband revealed. Her casket was pulled by a horse-drawn carriage. Instead of flowers, people were asked to make a donation to two charities, Dogs Trust or Lancashire Mind, in her memory.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the hundreds of you who came to pay your respects to Abbey,” Sam Garside wrote. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better, she brought the sun out for us, and got her final horse ride as a princess.”
If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
