Mum drowned swimming back to boat after snorkelling trip

A WOMAN described as a “strong swimmer” drowned in the sea during an idyllic Far East holiday.

Kathryn Cooke Jones decided to swim back to a boat after snorkelling in the sea off the Indonesian resort of Labuan Bajo last July.

The 58-year-old, from Elim, Llanddeusant, near Valley, had been on holiday with daughter Anna Catrin Jones and had been on a day-long boat trip.

In her statement, read at the hearing, Ms Jones said she and her mother had left the boat party after lunch to go swimming and snorkelling about 100 metres offshore. After a short while her mother said she was going to swim back to the boat as she was uncomfortable wearing the snorkel.

Her daughter said she’d follow in a few minutes’ time and watched as her mother swam towards the boat.

As a strong swimmer she had no concerns about her going alone, the statement said.

Later she saw her mother floating on her back, one of her favourite ways of swimming, but after another snorkel dive Ms Jones saw someone being pulled out of the water onto a boat.

As a medical student she made her way to the boat and started giving her mother CPR.

The boat took them back ashore and later to a local hospital where Mrs Jones was treated by medics but later pronounced dead.

North Wales senior coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones said the body was returned to Wales and he ordered a post-mortem examination.

Dr Mark Lord said he found no sign of coronary disease and no evidence of significant disease or injury.

He added the appearance of her lungs was typical with a case of drowning and gave that as a cause of death.

Concluding the hearing the coroner said had he the power to investigate the incident he would have sought answers to how a strong swimmer drowned.

Recording a verdict of accidental death the coroner added: “I can’t make a finding of why she drowned.

“There are no suspicious circumstances and looks more like an accidental drowning.”

No members of family were present at the hearing.