The Cambridge University student who plunged 5,000 feet to her death from a plane in Madagascar was hallucinating at the time and didn't intend to kill herself, her devastated family believe.

Alana Cutland, 19, had fallen ill during her dream trip to Madagascar to research rare blue crab and had reluctantly agreed to cut short the trip and return home at her parents' request.

Her uncle Lester Riley, 68, said Alana had spoken to her mother two days before her death and was 'mumbling and sounded pretty incoherent'.

The student, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, broke open the plane's door and threw herself out after fighting off the pilot and a fellow British passenger Ruth Johnson, who had clung on to her legs above the East African island's vast jungle.

Her uncle, a retired electrician, has now revealed to Mail Online: 'She had taken ill after being there for a few days and when she spoke to her mother on the phone two days before the accident she was mumbling and sounded pretty incoherent.

'We think she had suffered a severe reaction to some drugs but not anti-malaria ones because she had taken those on her trip last year to China without any side effects.'

Alana Cutland, pictured with her father, 'didn't intend to kill herself', according to her uncle, and was hallucinating on prescription drugs at the time

Alana Cutland, 19, from Milton Keynes, pictured with her parents Alison and Neil, who were bringing her home to Britain from Madagascar after she became unwell on her research trip

Authorities shared this photo, a recreation of Ruth Johnson and the pilot's attempts to save Alana and stop her from jumping out. She fell from the Cessna-style light aircraft while it was above the east African country, about ten minutes after take-off

Police have said the Biological Natural Sciences student had suffered a flurry of five 'paranoia' attacks and was 'stressed' before her death on the morning of Thursday July 25.

Mr Riley added: 'What happened, the family believe, was a tragic accident not a suicide and we are utterly heartbroken. Alana had everything to live for, nothing to die for, and we don't think for a moment she deliberately took her own life. She was hallucinating, she was unwell, something had made her ill, it must have been a reaction to medication.'

Mr Riley said his niece, who he last saw seven months ago, had never suffered from mental illness.

Alana's parents Alison, 55 - his sister and a Cranfield University worker - and Neil, an environmental engineer had encouraged their daughter to cut short her six week trip and come home.

Cambridge University student Alana Cutland, 19, fell to her death from a light aircraft above Madagascar after reportedly forcing open the door and jumping from 5000ft

Her uncle explained how she had had a frantic last phone call to her mum two days before her death and six days into her travels.

He said: 'She was mumbling and in a really bad way and both of them were really worried because they didn't know what was wrong. She wanted to finish her trip but her mum said it was best she come home and get better, and she finally agreed to that. There was something wrong with her.

'My sister was frantic and called the Embassy for help. They advised she should see a doctor in the country and then come back to England. And Alana agreed to that.

'She was in total agreement. There was no friction or tense conversation.

'She was on a plane with a pilot and a British woman she had met on the trip and they were heading to a town so she could go to hospital and be treated before being declared fit to fly home.

Mr Riley, who has a son Samuel, 32, said: 'When my sister rang me and told me what had happened I was stunned. None of us could believe it. It's shocking and we'll all miss her so much. She was a bright and bubbly young girl and we had a fabulous relationship.

'She would have been going into her third year at University and after graduating wanted to work in wildlife and zoology. She had gone to Madagascar on her own but as part of her course to research the endangered blue crab.'

He added: 'She was a lovely young lady, very outgoing. She didn't have a boyfriend that I was aware of but had a passion for life.

'My sister had given her a lift to Heathrow Airport for her trip, that was the last time she saw her. We don't know if the authorities will find her body. It would be good to have it to bring her back home.

'We're baring up as a family, we have to. Alana has a 17-year-old brother and we have to be strong for him.'

Mr Riley dismissed reports that his niece may have been upset over the recent death of a male friend which could have affected her state of mind, saying: 'No, she was focused on her trip and her studies.'

School friend Charlotte Parmenter told the Sun: 'She was prom queen for a reason, she was well liked by everyone and I don't think anyone had a bad word to say about her.

'I know she was always getting involved with the school council and various extra curricular. From my friends I kept after leaving who went to university with her always said she was so hardworking and was still the life of the party and was lovely as ever.

'Her death has brought pain to everyone, even those who barely knew her because she was a truly valued person in our school and community.'

Police in Madagascar said earlier today that they are probing the theory that Alana may have suffered a severe reaction to anti-malaria drugs.

Alana was thought to be travelling back from a research trip to the remote area of Anjajavy - police are probing if she fell ill after taking anti-malaria tablets

Her family said in a statement: 'Our daughter Alana was a bright, independent young woman, who was loved and admired by all those that knew her'

She broke open the plane's door and threw herself out after fighting off the pilot and a fellow British passenger who had clung on to her legs above the island's vast jungle.

Her grieving parents Alison and Neil have said their 'bright' and 'enthusiastic' daughter was 'particularly excited' to carry out research in the Indian Ocean's rare crab population having raised the money to fund her trip to Madagascar herself.

But eight days after arriving she threw herself from a Cessna reportedly rented by Mr and Mrs Cutland who were bringing her back to the UK after a series of fraught phone calls and desperate email exchanges with their eldest child.

Police on the east African island say they do not yet know why she opened the plane's door and jumped at 5,000ft - but are probing whether she had a reaction to anti-malaria drugs.

In very rare cases some of these medicines such as Larium and Malarone can cause paranoia, depression, hallucinations and even suicidal thoughts.

Alana's companion Ruth Johnson, 51, and the pilot had clung on to her legs for several minutes - but she broke free from their 'exhausted' grip and jumped to her death.

Local police chief Sinola Nomenjahary said: 'The victim is a student asking for a lot of moral support. She had suffered a paranoia attack five times. The witnesses claimed that Alana had difficulty managing her private life and her research.

Did Alana Cutland suffer a severe reaction to anti-malaria drugs? In very rare cases some anti-malaria drugs, such as Larium, can cause paranoia, depression, hallucinations and even suicidal thoughts. Police are now probing whether tragic student Alana Cutland had a severe reaction to the medicine. Mefloquine, also known as Lariam, is not recommended for people who suffer from depression or other mental health problems. It's side-effects can include dizziness, headache, sleep disturbances (insomnia and vivid dreams), as well as psychiatric reactions. These include anxiety, depression, panic attacks and hallucinations. Medical advice says that 'it's very important' to tell your doctor about any previous mental health problems, including mild depression before taking Lariam. Source: The NHS Advertisement

'She was in regular contact with her parents to whom she receives moral support. She did not handle her stresses well'.

Police have released an extraordinary image of officers recreating the student's final moments based on the statements of the two other people on board.

Teams are searching for her body but there are fears that it may not be found because she jumped into a remote area of the Madagascan jungle filled with carnivorous wild animals including the panther-like fossa mongoose.

Alana had been due to stay on Madagascar for six weeks, but cut it short after just eight days following the conversations with her mother Alison, an executive at Cranfield University School of Management and energy consultant Neil Cutland, both 63.

The family rented a small plane to take her from a lodge on the north of the island to Madagascar's Ivato Antananarivo international airport where she would have flown to Paris and then on to London, according to the Midi-Madagasikara newspaper. But five minutes after take-off she jumped.

Alana and her parents had several intense and agitated phone calls in the days and hours leading up to her death and she was suffering from 'stress' and 'paranoia', reports on the island have claimed.

Mr and Mrs Cutland convinced researcher Ruth Johnson, 51, to accompany her on the five-seat Cessna-type aircraft because they were worried about their eldest daughter.

Alana broke open the door and fought with Ms Johnson and the pilot as they tried to drag her back into the cabin, Madagascar police chief Nomenjahary has said.

Mr Nomenjahary said the student had suffered five 'paranoia attacks' while on the 'failed' research trip to see rare Madagascan crustaceans.

Alana was around ten minutes into the flight back from a research trip to a remote lodge in Anjajavy, northern Madagascar, where she was studying several rare species of crabs.

Police chief Nomenjahary say they have pieced together what happened in the minutes before Alana died

Police are now investigating reports that she opened the plane's door and jumped to her death

Alana's family are grieving following her death and paid tribute to the 19-year-old

He said: 'The Cessna C168 aircraft was taking off from Anjajavy with three people aboard, including Ms Johnson, Alana and the pilot.

'After 10 minutes of flight, Alana undid her seatbelt and unlocked the right door of the plane and tried to get out.

'Ms Johnson fought for five minutes trying to hold her, but when she was exhausted and out of breath she let go.

'Alana then intentionally fell from an aircraft at 1130 metres (5,000ft) above sea level.

'She dropped into a zone which is full of with carnivorous Fossa felines.'

Alana was travelling back from a research trip to a remote lodge in Anjajavy where she studied a rare species of crabs.

Alana was in the country for a university research trip and one other passenger was in the aircraft with her, along with the pilot

The British student was heading back to the UK just eight days into the trip due to last over a month.

She is said to have had a number of troubling conversations with her parents in Buckinghamshire.

Their most recent report claims that the family considered the situation an 'emergency' and rented a small plane to take her from the north of the island to Madagascar's Ivato Antananarivo international airport where she would have flown to Paris and then on to London.

They convinced Ruth Johnson, 51, to accompany her on the five-seat Cessna-type aircraft but Alana then fought her way off the plane and jumped minutes after take-off.

Teams are searching for her body but there are fears that it may not be found because she jumped into remote area of the Madagascan jungle filled with carnivorous wild animals.

Alana's family say they 'are heartbroken at the loss of our wonderful, beautiful daughter, who lit up every room she walked in to'.

Police have also interviewed management at the hotel, as well as Ruth and the pilot while also searching Alana's luggage.

They have also read through her documents and messages.

He said: 'On Ms Johnson's departure day Alana's parents agreed that Alana should interrupt her research fly with Ms Johnson.'

She was in the country for a university research trip to complement her studies and one other passenger was in the aircraft with her, along with the pilot.

The internship is understood to have been undertaken privately and was not a Cambridge University study trip.

Robinson College Cambridge, where 19-year-old university student Alana Cutland was studying Natural Sciences

The student had forced open the plane door in front of the horrified pilot and another passenger, police have said

Alana's family have asked for privacy following her death.

Their statement said: 'Our daughter Alana was a bright, independent young woman, who was loved and admired by all those that knew her.

'She was always so kind and supportive to her family and friends, which resulted in her having a very special connection with a wide network of people from all walks of her life, who we know will miss her dearly.

Alice Cutland celebrating after she had passed her driving test in January 2017. Her family have paid tribute to her

'Alana grasped every opportunity that was offered to her with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure, always seeking to extend her knowledge and experience in the best ways possible.

'She was particularly excited to be embarking on the next stage of her education, on an internship in Madagascar complementing her studies in Natural Sciences.

'Alana was also a talented dancer and embraced the more creative side of her talents with joy and commitment.

'Her thirst for discovering more of the world always ensured she made the most of every second of her action-packed young life.

'We are heartbroken at the loss of our wonderful, beautiful daughter, who lit up every room she walked in to, and made people smile just by being there.'

A friend told the Sun: 'She was amazing, one of the most beautiful and pure girls I've ever known - inside and out.

'The whole thing has been a nightmare for her family and friends back home in the UK.

'We knew she was getting some sort of plane trip last week to study the seabed on a neighbouring island, but then contact went dead and we started to fear the worst.

'Alana had so much going for her. She loved animals and nature and was over the moon to be going to Madagascar to pursue her passion.'

Her family said that Alana was also a talented dancer and she was Vice President of the student-run society dance society Cutazz, of the University of Cambridge

Dr David Woodman, of Robinson College, Cambridge University, said in a statement: 'Robinson College is deeply shocked by the news of Alana's death. In her two years here, she made a huge contribution to many different aspects of life in the college'

As well as being a talented dancer, Alana was involved in the yoga and mindfulness society at university

Dr David Woodman, of Robinson College, Cambridge University, said in a statement: 'Robinson College is deeply shocked by the news of Alana's death. In her two years here, she made a huge contribution to many different aspects of life in the college.

'She will be sorely missed by us all. The college extends its sincerest condolences to Alana's family at this extremely difficult time.'

Alana was involved in the yoga and mindfulness society at the college, according to its website.

She was also a talented dancer and Vice President of the student-run dance society Cutazz, at Cambridge University.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.