‘Doting gran’ drowned during swim off beach:

INQUEST TOLD OF DESPERATE EFFORTS TO SAVE 45-YEAR-OLD

ADOTING grandmother drowned while out swimming with her boyfriend, an inquest has heard.

Emma Jane Williams, 45, got in to difficulty while swimming in the sea between Pwllheli and Abererch on May 31, 2020.

She had visited the beach with her partner of six years, Eifion Williams, at around 4pm.

The inquest into her death heard that Miss Williams, a mother-of-one, entered the water with Mr Williams and she went for a swim while he snorkelled.

Shortly afterwards Mr Williams returned to the shore thinking Miss Williams had done the same but when he looked he saw her floating in the water.

Speaking at the inquest in Caernarfon Mr Williams said: “We used to go swimming in the sea quite often, we’d go for walks, enjoyed socialising. She doted on her granddaughter, they used to play together like two kids.

“We were about 10ft out where it was around 7ft deep and I looked up from snorkelling and saw her swimming on her back towards the beach.

“I carried on snorkelling for about 15 minutes and went back in but I couldn’t see her anywhere.

“Then I noticed she was floating in the water.

“I jumped back in and swam to her, I was trying to get her back to the shore but she was heavy and kept going under.

“I was shouting ‘somebody help’ and someone on the beach called the emergency services.

“When I got back on to the beach I was doing what I was told and pumping her stomach, she vomited but she was unresponsive. Around half an hour later paramedics arrived and she was taken to hospital.”

Miss Williams was flown to Ysbyty Gwynedd for treatment but sadly passed away two days later on June 2 at 1.30pm.

A post-mortem was carried out on Miss Williams on June 5 showing that she had 47mg of alcohol in her system – almost half the legal driving amount – with the pathologist saying that it is likely to have been higher at the time the incident occurred.

She also had therapeutic levels of Diazepam and Nordiazepam in her system.

Concluding the inquest into her death, Assistant Coroner Katie Sutherland ruled that Miss Williams had died as a result of accidental drowning.

She said: “Sadly Miss Williams couldn’t be saved.

“I hope her family can take some comfort in time that by donating her organs she saved a number of lives.

“She was clearly loved, had her life ahead of her and was very young for this to happen.

“It is clear she had a supportive family around her who will miss her dearly.”